New World Order
by X-MENobsession
Summary: Sequel to "Dance on, Kietro, Dance On." The future looks bleak for all who oppose "King Magnus" and in times of war time travel and murder become everday things. Can Kitty and Pietro stop Magneto, or will humanity suffer under his New World Order?
1. Chapter 1

The Story I Couldn't Think Of A Title For

**AN: **Attention Readers: The sequel to _Dance On, Kietro, Dance On!_ is here! (It didn't take that long either.) How much do you love me? I have a better idea of where I'm going with this story than I did my first one, but I'm still unsure about a lot of things. Tell me what you think: **_REVIEW!_**

Oh and I'm also open to suggestions for a title. As you can see, mine really sucks!

**DISCLAIMER: **I own nothing related to or having anything to do with X-Men or any other Marvel Comic books. Please don't sue me!

Chapter 1

The Genoshan 'Royal Family'

It was noon and the streets of Genosha were full of life. It was almost unbelievable to think that only a little under two years ago this entire island was just one man's private property. But that man had a dream of a sanctuary where his people could live in peace, away from the hatred and prejudice of the outside world. So he built this small island-nation and brought mutants from around the world there. He named them 'Homo Superior' and promised that someday they would inherit the world that fears and hates them. This promise made the people love him, and call him their king.

"I am no king," he told them, "nor am I a savior. I am a simple person, like you, who wants only the respect I deserve."

Still though, the people of Genosha playfully called him 'King Magnus'. In many ways, he was their king. He founded the nation, created the laws, and enforced them. He created a type of 'supreme court' which he called 'The High Court'. He placed mutants he deemed honorable enough in these seats of power. They were known as 'The Mutant Council' and made many important decisions for Genosha. Today, the Council was having its monthly meeting, and one member of the Council was very late...

Kitty Pryde-Maximoff raced through the crowded streets, phasing through anything and anyone in her way. She arrived at City Hall, greeted by a large metal statue of 'King Magnus' himself. After rounding the corner she reached the large doors that led into the meeting room, however she was stopped from entering by a voice that had become very familiar over these past few years.

"You're late," the man sitting at the desk in front of the doors said.

"C'mon, Northstar," Kitty pleaded with him. "Just let me in! If I miss another meeting, Mags is gonna kill me!"

"I wish I could help," Northstar answered while shuffling some documents. "But Magneto told me not to let anyone in after those doors close."

"You should know by now that I'm an exception to everything Magneto says."

"Exactly. You're his daughter-in-law; he might get angry, but he'd never actually harm you. Me, on the other hand, he wouldn't hesitate about..."

"Please," Kitty said while she folded her hands and made a sad face. "Pretty please?"

Northstar stared at her for a moment, thinking, and then he sighed and caved. "Fine, just be covert, okay?"

"Of course," she answered, smiling broadly. She slowly phased herself through the floor, into the meeting room, and directly into her seat. Magneto was busy talking about something and didn't notice her, but Pietro, whose seat was next to hers, watched her quiet entrance and whispered to her, "Glad you could make it."

"I'm sorry," she whispered back. "What did I miss?"

"Nothing important; we just voted on whether or not to make the fact that Charlie learned to walk a national holiday."

"What's the verdict?"

"Happy 'Charlie Learned to Walk' Day!"

Kitty sighed. This wasn't Magneto's first national holiday based on his grandchildren. "Don't you think this a little much?"

Pietro nodded. "But it's better that he's obsessing over this rather than world domination."

Kitty silently agreed and looked at her father-in-law who continued to speak about his plans for a 'Potty Training Parade'. After the meeting ended and the Council began to evacuate the room, Kitty remained in her seat. She watched Magneto gather his things together and waited for him to say something about her tardiness. She didn't have to wait long.

"I see you've decided to join us. I thank you."

"I'm sorry. I promise I won't be late again."

"That's what you said last time. Where were you?"

Kitty looked at her folded hands on her lap. "I just get caught up in things and lose track of time... I really am sorry."

"I know, I know...," Magneto said tiredly as he picked up his briefcase and walked toward the door. "Just... try a little harder next time, okay?"

Kitty nodded fervently and Magneto left the room. She sat alone in silence for a minute until she noticed that he had left one of his papers behind. She picked it up and quickly read it over. Then she pulled out her cell phone and dialed.

"Hey Piotr, I just found some of Magneto's schematics. Do you think you could take a look at them? --- Thanks. --- I can be there at about... oh my gosh! I'm late! Sorry, Petey, but I'm going to have to call you back." She hung up and ran out of the meeting room, past Northstar, and across City Hall until she reached a bright yellow door with cartoon stickers on it.

When she entered she was quickly met by a small, brown-haired toddler. "Mommy!" the little girl yelled as Kitty swooped her up into her arms.

"Hello, there," Kitty said. "How's Mommy's little girl?" Right on cue, another toddler came running toward Kitty. This one was identical to the first except for her platinum colored hair. She didn't say anything, but ran up to her mother and began pulling on her shirt for attention. Kitty put down the toddler she was holding and gave the second one a big hug. "Did you two have fun today?"

Both girls nodded and a tall, lean woman with straight black hair came up behind them. "Hello, Mrs. Maximoff," she said with a smile that Kitty knew was fake.

"I'm late, I know," Kitty said with a sigh as she stood up and faced the woman.

"It's quite all right, Mrs. Maximoff."

"I was at the Council meeting and..."

"We know you're a busy woman, Mrs. Maximoff," the woman said with that smile still plastered on her face.

Kitty hated the way she always used her name. She knew why. Since the day Magneto had first introduced Kitty to Camille, the nursery attendant, after the twins were born she knew the woman hadn't liked her. She looked at her like she wasn't good enough to be in Genosha's 'royal family'; like she wasn't good enough to marry the 'king's son and give birth to the nation's beloved 'princesses'. But she had, and Camille knew what that meant. Kitty was 'Mrs. Maximoff'; a title that called for respect, which was sometimes very hard for her to give, especially when she was late to pick her children up. So Camille took every opportunity to remind herself of this woman whom she disliked so much's authority.

"Well, I guess I'll just be taking my girls home, then."

Camille simply nodded, bent down to the girls' levels, and said to them, "Bye now! I'll see you tomorrow and we can play some more. Won't that be fun?" They both nodded and Camille patted them on the head as they followed their mother. "Good-bye, Mrs. Maximoff."

Kitty was too tired to keep up a smile as fake as her's so she simply waved as she shooed her daughters out the yellow door. When they arrived home the twins took a nap and Kitty went into the living room to make a few phone calls.

While listening to the phone ring she straightened out the pictures on her coffee table. She picked up her favorite one. It was taken on the day the girls were born. Kitty was holding the brown-haired Charlie and Pietro had the silver-haired Erika in his arms. Charlie had her mouth open for a cry while Erika (always the quieter twin) was simply staring into space. Despite the chaos around them, Kitty and Pietro each had on the biggest smiles in the world. It was the happiest day of Kitty's life and, in her opinion, the most beautiful photo she had ever seen. A close second was the one next to it. It showed Kitty and Pietro on their wedding day. They didn't get married until after the girls were born because Kitty said she "didn't want to be fat in the pictures", and she certainly wasn't. Kitty smiled to herself as she remembered both of the glorious days, then someone finally picked up the phone.

"Hello?"

"Piotr, hi!"

"Kitty?"

"Yeah, it's me. Do you remember what we were talking about earlier? Do you think you could help me?"

"I'm not sure. What sort of schematics are they?"

"Beats me. It looks like some sort of machine, but I'm no expert."

"Neither am I, but it couldn't hurt to take a look. When can you bring them over?"

Kitty bit her lip. She couldn't leave Erika and Charlie alone and she didn't have a babysitter...

"I'm home!" Pietro yelled as he walked through the door and Kitty's face immediately lit up.

"I'll be there in a few," she told Piotr and hurriedly hung up the phone. "Pietro, do you think you could do me a** huge** favor?"

Pietro entered the living room and asked cautiously, "What sort of a favor?"

"Could you watch the twins for a little while? I need to go... run some errands."

Pietro raised his eyebrows. "What kind of errands?"

"Well..." Kitty's mind raced to find an excuse. Her eyes fell on the grocery list hanging on the bulletin board behind her husband. "We need eggs... and bread... and lettuce... and bacon... and..."

"All right, all right; I get the idea. Of course I'll watch them."

"Thank you so much!" she said and kissed him before grabbing her coat (as well as the shopping list) and running out the front door. In the car, she silently cursed herself for not having a pre-planned excuse because now she had to stop at the grocery store on her way home.

A few minutes later she pulled into the parking lot of a large house The Acolytes lived here, completely paid for by Magneto. He decided that there was no need for them to get mundane jobs to merely pay the bills when they could be doing more important things for him. She entered walked onto the porch and right through the open front door. "Piotr!" she called. "I'm here!"

Gambit walked in from the kitchen and smiled at her. "Hello dhere, chere." He was in his Acolyte's uniform.

"Remy, where are you going?"

"I got me a mission for dhe big guy," he answered. "What brings you here?"

"I'm looking for Petey. Have you seen him?"

Gambit simply pointed to the door that led down into the basement and walked outside, closing the front door behind him. Kitty walked down the stairs and into a dark room that looked something like a lab. Piotr was standing under a bright light, scanning some papers that were strewn all over a wooden table. He looked up when Kitty walked down. "Hello, Katya. Have you brought them?"

Kitty reached into her purse and pulled out Magneto's schematics. "Here they are." She put them on the table and he studied them for a few minutes in silence. "What do you think?"

"I agree that it looks like some machine; a very large one, in fact. But I'm afraid I have no idea what it does."

Kitty sighed.

"I do, however," Piotr said in hopes to lift her spirits, "know someone who might." 

"Who?" Kitty asked excitedly.

"He is a fairly new citizen of Genosha. His name, I believe, is Forge."

"Forge..." Kitty repeated quietly to herself. Why did that name sound familiar? "Where can I find him?"

"He works for Magneto as a technician. He'll probably be hanging around City Hall tomorrow."

Kitty nodded. "Thank you, Piotr. I'll be sure to ask him what he thinks tomorrow," she said and gave him a hug before she left.

**AN: **I hope you liked the first chapter! Please **_REVIEW!_** I have no life and live off of your feedback.


	2. Chapter 2

The Story I Couldn't Think Of A Title For

**AN:** Here's chapter 2, just for you my readers! Enjoy and please **REVIEW!**

Oh, and CHUNX, I have to say that that was a very odd request you made, however I did put it in the chapter. See what I do for my reviewers? Of course I didn't get graphic or anything (I'm not sick!) but it's there. Hope you like it!

**DISCLAIMER: **I own nothing! Not the people (except for Charlie and Ericka), not the place, and definitely not the paper!

Chapter 2

Forge's Machine

The next day, after Kitty dropped the twins off at the nursery center, she went to the Control Room. This was Genosha's computer base. The people working here dealt with anything on the island that ran on electricity; from fixing a toaster to networking computers. This is also the only place on Genosha where one could access the internet. Magneto believed that news of the outside world would only upset the people. They also weren't allowed to watch certain television programs. It sounds harsh, but Magneto believed whole-heartedly in this way of life, and besides, the people knew what they were getting into when they decided to move here. But surfing the web was not why Kitty had come to the Control Room. She was here to find a certain mutant named 'Forge'.

"Excuse me," she said politely as she tapped a small man who was sitting in front of a computer on the shoulder.

He jumped slightly, but calmed down quickly and answered, "Can I help you, miss?"

"I'm looking for a man named Forge. Do you know him?"

"Sure; he's amazing! That guy can make **anything**! I mean, I didn't believe him when he first told me, but then..."

"Is he here?" Kitty interrupted. She wasn't here to listen to stories, she needed information.

"No. He used to work here, but then King Magnus heard about his 'talents' and now he's taking orders directly from the big guy himself."

"Where does he work now?"

"Lensherr Laboratory. It's on the other end of the island. Very private. No one gets in there without an i.d. card. Actually, I probably shouldn't be telling you all of this. Who are you exactly?"

Kitty laughed to herself. She had been living here for how long now and people still didn't know who she was? She didn't really mind though. If everyone knew she was their 'princess' she would never have a moment's peace. "I'm no one, okay? I was never here."

The man looked uncertain, but then Kitty made her threatening face which, to a guy who spent his entire day programming VCRs, was pretty scary. He swallowed and nodded, and Kitty left not much better off than when she came.

The Control Room was located at the center of City Hall. Instead of walking south, the direction that the nursery was in, Kitty decided to go North. There was a large garden where Kitty sometimes liked to sit and think. She rested on a stone bench and stared blankly at a bright orange flower, lost in her own mind. Then she felt a sudden gust of wind blow against her bare arms and almost knock down the delicate flower. Kitty knew this could have been one of two people. She had a fifty-fifty chance. "Pietro?"

"Nope!" A slim man with black hair stopped in front of her and smiled.

"Jean-Paul," Kitty corrected herself. "What're you doing here?"

"I was just passing through on my way to a dead end job as Mag's secretary," he answered while sitting down next to her.

"You know how important your job is. You see information that the rest of us could never touch!"

"I know, I know... But word around the street is that you recently got your hands on some very valuable papers."

"I don't know if they're valuable yet. I have no idea what they're for, but I'm going to find out. I just don't know how..."

"Sounds like you've got it all worked out," Jean-Paul answered sarcastically. Kitty attempted to push him off the bench, but before she could even touch him, he stood up. "Well, you think about these massive plans of yours while I fetch coffee for the 'King'."

"Jean-Paul..."

"I know, I know! 'I'm an important member of society'..." He sighed. "Either way, I can still be replaced by a monkey."

"But then who would I talk to? You know I'm too lazy to learn sign language."

He smiled. "Finally, I know my reason for existence: to entertain you! I'll see you at the meeting tonight?"

"Shhh!!!" Kitty hushed him, then whispered, "It's a secret remember?! And yes, I'll be there. Hopefully with some better info."

Jean-Paul nodded and ran off. Kitty sat in silence for a minute more before her cell phone began to vibrate, signaling that she had a new text message.

It was from Pietro and read: 'What's up?'

She replied: 'Not much.'

'Wanna have some fun?'

Kitty bit her lip and typed: 'Sure.'

'Meet me at the house in 10.'

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

"So what are your plans for the rest of the day?" Pietro asked as he zipped up his pants.

Kitty stretched underneath the covers and said in the middle of a yawn, "Who knows? What're you doing?"

Pietro sat down on the edge of the bed and began putting on his shoes. "My dad wants me to help him out with something."

"What is it?"

"Some project of his. Shouldn't take more than an hour, though, and we can resume this..." He leaned back and kissed his wife slowly. Then he broke it off and said, "But for now, I have to go." He stood up and put on his shirt.

Kitty made a pouting face. "Do you **have** to leave me?"

"Don't make that face! I told you it won't take too long."

"But I'll miss you so much!" She grabbed his hand and pulled him back onto the bed with her.

"Kitty..."

"Fine!" she said and threw her hands in the air in defeat. "Go ahead and leave me here, all alone! I'll just stare at the wall and count the seconds until you return to me..."

"Don't be so dramatic!" He kissed her once more and stood up again. "Why don't you and Northstar get together and have a little 'girls' only outing'?" He pretended to throw back his hair and said in a high pitched voice, "You can fix up your hair, and get your nails done..."

Kitty laughed and threw a pillow at him.

"Hey! I don't have to take this kind of abuse!" He threw the pillow back at her and ran out of the room. Kitty hugged the pillow close to her chest and bit her lip while she tried to think of what to do with the rest of her day. She didn't have to pick up the twins until... She looked at the alarm clock on the end table. "Dammit!" she yelled and raced out of bed to get dressed.

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

"Charlie, be careful!" Kitty yelled at her daughter. They were at the park and, although there was a perfectly good smaller play set, Charlie insisted on playing on the same one as the big kids. Kitty watched her carefully from the blanket she had set up on the grass. Ericka was sitting with her, quietly drinking a juice box and watching the other kids play. Sometimes Kitty worried about Ericka's shy and introverted personality, but compared to her loud and rambunctious sister she was glad to have some peace. "You okay?" she asked her softly.

Ericka simply nodded without taking her eyes off of Charlie. Kitty turned her head back to the playground just in time to see Charlie fall and begin to cry. "Oh, poor baby!" she said and ran over to pick up her daughter and carry her back to the blanket. There she kissed the 'boo-boo' on her knee and gave her a juice box.

"How sweet is that?"

Kitty turned at the sound of a familiar female voice. "Hello, Wanda," she said as the twins' aunt approached them.

Wanda sat down next to Ericka and patted her head.

"So...," Kitty said awkwardly. "What brings you here?"

"I was on my way to City Hall when Pietro called me and asked if I could check on you. He said you were lonely."

Kitty laughed and silently cursed Pietro. Kitty and Wanda had seen a lot of each other these past two years but still weren't exactly 'friends'. Now that she was brain-washed, Wanda was a lot more pleasant to be around (though still her usual 'angry at the world' self) and you could tell that she cared for the girls in her own way, but for some reason she and Kitty just didn't click. "Well, Pietro was just trying to be funny. I'm fine, really."

"I know. This is just a precaution." She laughed as Ericka attempted to pull off her bracelet. Ericka could barely talk and already she and Wanda had formed a special bond. Kitty wasn't sure whether this was good or bad, but either way she was happy to see them both smiling.

Kitty's phone rang then and she answered it. "Hello?"

"Hey, Kitty," Pietro said on the other line. "Look babe, I hate to say this, but it looks like I'm going to be a little late... okay, a **lot** late."

"Where are you?"

"I can't really explain right now, but I promise I'll be home before midnight."

"**Midnight?** Pietro..." Kitty was cut off by the sound of Pietro hanging up. "Why that little...," she mumbled and looked up to see Wanda staring at her.

"Problems in marriage world?" she asked.

Kitty sighed. "No, Pietro's just making my life difficult. I have a very important meeting to go to and he just called and told me he won't be back until late tonight. Now I have no one to watch Charlie and Ericka."

"I could watch them," Wanda said in a surprisingly happy voice.

"Really?"

"Sure. When is your meeting?"

Kitty looked at her watch. "It's... **right now!!!**" She quickly stood up and grabbed her purse. "Thank you so much for doing this! You have my cell number, right?" Wanda nodded and Kitty kissed her daughters. "Bye, babies! I should be home in about an hour, okay? I'll see you then, bye!"

Wanda laughed softly as she watched Kitty run across the park. "So she does own a watch?" she said to the toddlers. "The only problem is: does she use it?"

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

"Okay, okay," Gambit said as he stood at the podium in front of a large room located in a basement underneath City Hall. "Let's get this meeting started. Our first order of business is..."

A door slamming broke the silence and everyone in the room turned to see Kitty standing at the doors. She laughed and waved nervously. "Hey guys. What's up?"

"You're late," Gambit said.

"Yeah, yeah... What else is new?" She sat down next to Piotr as he laughed quietly. "What did I miss?"

"Luckily," Gambit said looking down at the papers in front of him. "We just started."

"Well, don't let me stop you! Continue, please!" Kitty leaned back in her chair and looked at Gambit defiantly. The Cajun simply smiled at her. She was no rebel and he knew it, she just liked making an entrance.

"All right than, as I was saying..."

Just then the doors opened and everyone turned around once again. Only this time it wasn't a short valley girl, but a tall man with long, messy hair who looked like he had just run through the jungle. In fact, that's exactly what he did. He entered the room slowly, breathing heavily. After only a few steps in, though he collapsed. In a split second, Northstar caught him and took him to a chair.

"Who is it?" someone in the crowd asked.

Northstar pushed back the man's bedraggled hair, letting everyone see his face clearly.

"That's Forge!" Piotr yelled.

"**That's** Forge?" Kitty asked. This man looked so familiar to her... but why?

Someone got him a glass of water and after a few minutes Forge was well enough to speak. "What are you doing here?" Piotr asked.

"I came because I heard what you guys were doing."

"You come to close us down?" Gambit asked suspiciously, his hand automatically reaching for his playing cards.

"No, no!" Forge said, shaking his head. "You guys are against Magneto, right?"

"Of course not," Piotr said calmly. "We're simply against the idea of him taking over the world. We mean no harm to him, or any of his followers, we only want to live in peace without fighting the entire human race."

"Well, either way, you're the closest thing to a resistance that this island has, and I need your help."

"What is it? What happened?"

"I've done a horrible, horrible thing!" He covered his face with his hands and leaned back against his seat. 

"You have to tell us what it is, or we can't help you," Piotr said, still in a perfectly level-headed tone.

"I... I..." He took a deep breathe and began again. "I came to this island because I wanted refuge from... everything! You know what it's like out there!"

The crowd surrounding him nodded and mumbled quiet agreements.

"I thought that this would be my second chance at a normal life. That's all I wanted. I got a beautiful apartment and a great job as a technician in the Control Room. Then Magneto got word about my mutant powers and asked me to help him with a 'project' of his..."

At the word 'project' Kitty immediately thought of Pietro. She wondered what he was doing...

"...I got so caught up in building the machine that I didn't see what it was I was building. I was too excited about the fact that I had a nearly limitless budget and some of the coolest technology in the world to play with. Then I finished. Magneto took the machine away immediately so it took a little while for it to sink into my head what I had done, but once I thought about it I knew I had to fix it."

"Forge," Kitty said, pushing her way to the seat next to him. "Tell me, is this the machine you made for Magneto?" She handed him the schematics she had found. He took them and held them gently in his hands, as if they were some sort of precious gem.

"Yes. I remember them perfectly. How did you get these?"

"That's not important," Kitty said as she waved her hand dismissively. "What does this do?"

Forge sighed. "You wouldn't believe me."

"Try me."

"Okay... It's a time machine."

Forge received a few blank faces, but not nearly as many as you would expect. When you know people who can read minds and make objects explode, very little surprises you.

"What exactly is he going to use this time machine for?" Kitty asked very professionally. She wouldn't put anything past Magneto.

"Well, naturally he didn't tell me, but I overheard him talking with the Scarlet Witch and whatever he's planning, he's doing it tonight and it involves some ladies named Ericka and Charlie. Now, I don't know who they are but..."

"Kitty!" Piotr said and turned to where his friend had been sitting, but she had already left.


	3. Chapter 3

The Story I Couldn't Think Of A Title For

By: XMENobsession

**AN:** I am soooooo bored!!! I had two snow days in a row and absolutely **nothing** to do! But it worked out nicely for all of you because now you get two chapters in two days! Hope you enjoy and remember to **REVIEW!**

**DISCLAIMER: **I own nothing! Not the people, not the place, and definitely not the paper!

Chapter 3

"Hello?!" Kitty yelled as she ran into her house. "Wanda? Charlie? Erika? Anyone?!?!" There was no answer. She stopped to catch her breathe and rested her head in her hands. She was close to tears. "What am I going to do?" she asked the empty room. "Pietro... Pietro!" She pulled out her cell phone and quickly dialed his number.

"What?" Pietro answered agitatedly. "I'm very busy."

Kitty was in no state to listen to that. "Pietro, you'd better get your ass out of there and find your damn father and sister because they just kidnapped our kids!!!"

"What?"

"You heard me!" She tried to replace her need to cry with yelling, but it wasn't working...so she yelled louder. "Your father, the great 'King Magnus', kidnapped our daughters and now he's going to use them for some time machine of his!"

"How do you know all of this? Where are you?"

"I'm at the house and I don't have time to explain everything, just tell me where he is!"

"Well, he's not here. I remember him leaving though. He said he was going to the other end of the island."

"The other end of the island? But the rest of Genosha is nothing but jungle..." She gasped as she remembered what she had just learned that day. "Except... He's at Lensherr Laboratory!"

"Where's that?"

"The opposite coast. Can you get me there?"

Within the next second Pietro was standing next to her. He wrapped his arms around her shaking form and said soothingly, "It's okay. I'm sure everything's fine."

Kitty shook her head and looked up at him. "No, it's not. Not if we don't leave **right now!**"

Pietro didn't even waste time nodding in agreement. He swooped her up into his arms and ran off in the direction of the jungle.

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

"Where is she?" Magneto asked his daughter as they walked down the cold corridor of Lensherr Laboratory.

"She said she had an 'important meeting'," Wanda answered.

"And you believed her?"

"Of course not! But it seemed like the perfect opportunity to get the twins. You said you wanted this done quickly." They stopped in front of two metal doors and Magneto opened them with a single thought.

"I do. You did well, Scarlet Witch. Good job." He gave her an uncharacteristically proud smile. Wanda wasn't sure how to take it so she simply lowered her head and entered the room.

Inside, computers lined every wall except for the one on the far end. There were steps on that wall that led up to a platform with a large metal ring standing on it. At the bottom of the steps an older woman was sitting with two small children.

"Irene," Magneto said as he approached them. "How are they doing?"

"Just fine, Erik; everything is fine," Irene answered as she placed the girls on the floor and stood up. "Are you all right?"

"Why wouldn't I be?"

Irene shrugged. "You could be nervous. This is a big thing that you're doing here. It's the beginning of a lot."

"Is that a fact or just speculation?"

"It's not hard, even for a blind person, to see that this is going to affect all of Genosha."

"Isn't that what we want?" Wanda asked.

"No," Magneto answered. "We want this to affect the world."

"Magneto!" a voice called through the radio on Magneto's belt.

He picked it up and answered, "Yes, Mystique. What is it?"

"We have a bit of a problem, here!"

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

Kitty and Pietro had no problems getting into the building. There were no guards or attack dogs outside or within. The front doors weren't locked and there were no alarms.

"Either he doesn't mind if anyone shows up, or he's just not expecting them," Pietro said as they strolled down the deserted hallway.

"This is creepy," Kitty said and shivered. "I don't like it."

"Neither do I, but would you rather we had to fight our way in?"

"Maybe."

They turned a corner and were met by a group of masked soldiers, armed and ready for battle.

"Be careful what you wish for." Pietro immediately got into his own fighting stance, but before he could do anything his wife grabbed his arm and pulled him under the ground. They ran through the solid earth until they couldn't hold their breath any longer and Kitty pulled them back up into another empty hallway.

"We can't waste time fighting," she said, out of breath. Pietro nodded and looked past her at two large doors. He pointed and Kitty looked too. "Where do you think they go?" she asked.

"Only one way to find out."

Together they pushed the heavy doors open and found a peculiar sight.

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

_A few minutes earlier..._

"What kind of problem?" Magneto asked Mystique on the two-way radio.

"Troops report a sighting of unauthorized personnel in sector 3..."

"Well, who is it?"

"Sir, it's Pietro and Kitty, and they're headed straight for you!"

At that moment, the 'King's' son and daughter-in-law entered through the doors, looking very shocked. Wanda immediately hexed a light fixture that fell on them, but they weren't caught quite as off-guard as she had hoped. Pietro ran out of the way and Kitty simply phased through it.

Magneto quickly grabbed the twins and flew himself and them up to the platform. He gently placed them in front of the large ring and mentally pressed a few button on the ring's base. The ring began to spin faster and faster and it's once empty center glowed bright white.

"Pietro!" Kitty yelled and pointed at the machine. Wanda hexed another light and Kitty dodged out of the way, too tired to phase. Wanda noticed that she was getting slower and weaker. She decided that she had damaged enough of the room, grabbed Kitty from behind, and held her still. Kitty couldn't fight back, but she still struggled to break free of her grasp.

Meanwhile, the machine had stopped accelerating and remained at a constant and very high speed. The white light continued to glow and the air around it began to waver like the air above a fire. The twins sat quietly, watching the light with sparkling eyes. Then they too began to glow white.

Pietro raced up the steps just in time to see this. He paused, hesitating on touching them. Then, right before his eyes 2 new white figures appeared. They were tall and feminine. He stared at them, and then looked down at his hands. They were glowing too.

Kitty watched from the ground. She saw the new figures appear and Pietro turn bright white. "Pietro!!!" she yelled hoarsely, but he didn't hear her. Then he was gone as well as the babies. All that was left on the platform was the time machine and two women; one with brown hair and one with white.

**'o'**

The room was silent as everyone was in shock. Wanda loosened her grip on Kitty and she managed to get free. Kitty couldn't believe what she had just witnessed. Where were they? And who where these people? Unlike everyone else present, Kitty was more angry than surprised. "You!" she said angrily toward her father-in-law. "What did you do?" She picked up a shard of glass from the broken light and threw it at Magneto as hard as she could.

Now, as everyone knows Magneto's mutant power is to control metal, not glass. So you can imagine everyone's surprise when the shard stopped in mid-air right before it touched him. Kitty just stared at the glass for a second. Then her eyes moved up to Magneto's face. He seemed just as shocked as she was. "How did...?" she began but stopped when she heard footsteps.

Everyone turned and watched as the two ladies walked down the stairs and right up to Magneto. The lady with platinum hair had her hand held out the entire time and when they reached him she dropped her hand and the glass fell as well. Magneto looked at her. "Erika?" he asked quietly. The girl nodded and Magneto looked to the other one. "Charlie?" She nodded as well. Magneto laughed and pulled them both into an unexpected hug.

Kitty approached them cautiously. "You... you're not... What is going on here?"

The girls turned away from the master of magnetism. Charlie's eyes lit up when she saw Kitty and she immediately hugged her. Erika was more stand-offish.

"Mom!" Charlie shrieked. "I can't believe it's you!" She held her at arms length and took in the sight of her mother. "You look so... young! How old are you?"

Kitty could hardly breathe, but she managed to whisper. "How old are **you**?"

"I'm 17. You look great! Erika," she said, turning to her twin sister. "Look, it's mom!"

Erika nodded. "I see her," she said.

"Well, come over here and say hello to your mother!"

Erika shook her head. "I don't talk to ghosts."

"'Ghosts'?" Kitty asked.

Charlie shook her head and said dismissively, "Don't listen to her, she's delusional. You're real and you're here and... and this is wonderful!" She hugged her again.

"I don't understand," Kitty said. "What just happened? Where's Pietro?"

"Dad's here?" Charlie asked excitedly and whipped her head around to look at her grandfather.

Magneto looked up at the time machine sadly. Charlie's smiling face quickly dropped and Erika put her hand on her sister's shoulder.

Kitty stepped back from the three of them. "Someone had better explain to me exactly what is going on here or else..."

**CRASH!** A light fixture fell directly on top of her.

"Wanda!" Magneto yelled in shock.

"She's not dead! ...just unconscious. She'll wake up in a few hours and we'll explain that this was all just a bad dream."

"And how do we explain the fact that her toddlers are missing and these two are here?"

"... Okay, so there is a flaw in my plan..."

"You're damn right there is!"

"She would've noticed something was different eventually! How were you planning on telling her?"

"For one, I was expecting Pietro to be here and stop her from murdering us both!"

"Well, who knows where he is now!"

"More like 'when'," Charlie corrected. "The machine would have taken him to this exact spot in some other time. So we know **where** he is; we just don't know **'when'**."

Wanda looked at Charlie closely, thinking. "Why don't **you** tell her?"

"Me?!"

Wanda nodded. "Both of you. She won't kill you. In fact, she might be so happy to meet her children from the future that she'll completely forget that her babies and husband are missing."

"I doubt that," Magneto said. "But this does sound like the safest way to break it to her. What do you think, Irene?"

Irene, who had been sitting quietly this entire time, nodded in agreement with Magneto and said, "This is the best decision, though there are many problems..."

"There are going to be problems no matter what we decide! Let's get her out of here and back home. Charlie and Erika, you will stay with her until she wakes up and then explain the situation in the best way possible. I assume you know what's going on?"

They both nodded. "We live in the future you created," Erika said. "This is history to us."

**AN: **Kind of crazy, I know... Just go with it, please!


	4. Chapter 4

The Story I Couldn't Think Of A Title For

By: XMENobsession

**AN: **Sorry for the delay. If you would like to know why I haven't updated in a while you can read my profile. Sorry, but I don't feel like writing it again. I hope you like this chapter. Please _**REVIEW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!**_

**DISCLAIMER: **I own nothing! Not the people, not the place, and definitely not the paper!

Chapter 4

Kitty stood in the middle of a large circular ballroom, wearing a sparkling pink gown. She was 16 again and her stomach was churning as she waited. Then she heard a heavy door close and turned to see Pietro, looking very handsome in his tux. He crossed the room and held her close in his arms. It felt so perfect, so right... Then the music started and they began to dance.

Kitty felt lighter than air as they circled the room together. She was happier than she had been since... since the last time she had this dream. And it always ended the same way.

The ceiling began to crack and crumble. A large chunk of it fell in front of the doors, blocking the only exit. Kitty turned to look toward Pietro for comfort, but he had vanished. She looked up just in time to see a large piece of ceiling falling directly towards her...

Then she woke up. She always woke up when she had this dream. It's not like much of a storyline could follow that, but still, the repetition was getting annoying. Though she was awake she kept her eyes closed. She still felt very tired and her head hurt like hell. She wondered why as she slowly opened her eyes to see the last sight she was expecting.

The cute, freckled face of Charlie Maximoff was directly in front of hers. "Ahh!" Kitty screamed, sat up, and backed into the headboard.

Charlie moved to sit Indian-style facing her mother. "Morning, Sleepy-head!" she said in an annoyingly happy tone.

"You...," Kitty stammered. "You weren't just a dream?"

Charlie shook her head. "Nope. Sorry, but I'm as real as you." She stretched out her arm and pinched it to show her authenticity. She quickly followed this by yelling 'Ow!' and rubbing the red spot on her arm.

Kitty let out a small smile. "So you do know how to smile! You don't do it very often," Charlie said.

"In the future...?" Kitty asked, unsure.

Charlie nodded.

"So you are from the future?"

Charlie nodded.

"Oh," was all Kitty said and then began to stare thoughtfully into space.

Charlie watched her for a moment and then asked cautiously, "You don't believe me, do you? About all this future stuff?"

"You're here," Kitty answered quietly. "That's all the proof I need, I guess. I believe it's happening; I've had way too much weird stuff happen to me for me not to believe it. I just don't understand it."

"Some people tend to immediately dismiss what they don't understand."

Kitty let out another smile. "If you're who you claim to be than you should know that I'm not one of those people."

Charlie smiled too. "I know that, and I am who I claim to be. I'm your daughter: Charlie Katherine Maximoff."

Kitty stared at her daughter and thought some more. Then she asked her, "So why don't I smile much in the future?"

"You don't have a whole lot of reasons to."

Knowing Charlie as a baby and seeing her now as a 17-year-old Kitty could tell that she was one of those people who are always bubbly and jubilant. So the grave look on her face right now was worrying her. "What happens to me?" Kitty asked, afraid of the answer but needing to know.

"It happens to all of us."

"What?"

"The War. Magneto's war. That's why he brought us here."

"He's starting a war?! I knew he couldn't stay peaceful forever! We're lucky he lasted two years. I have to stop him..."

"No!" Charlie yelled. "No, you don't! You'll end up the same way!"

Kitty saw tears form in Charlie's eyes. Something bad must have happened... something really bad. She hated to break Charlie's heart but she had no choice. "I have to. I can't just sit back and watch him take over the world."

Charlie sighed. "I know. I had to try at least." She looked up, more determined. "But you're not doing this alone! I may have been brought here to help Grandpa, but yours is the cause I believe in. And we have to start as soon as possible. This is when it begins."

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

Magneto stared out the large window in his office at the top of City Hall. The view was the best in the city and he found that watching the scenery helped to clear his mind. He took in a deep breath and closed his eyes... "Ericka?"

"Took you long enough to notice me," his granddaughter said as she walked up to the window and stood beside him.

"How long have you been standing there?"

"Long enough to realize that you're just as observant now as you are in 15 years."

"Is that a compliment of my future skills or a criticism of my current ones?"

Ericka shrugged. "You decide."

Magneto laughed quietly to himself. Unlike most people, Ericka had absolutely no fear of him. He liked that; it made her seem strong. Magneto enjoyed the idea of any member of his family being strong, though he wasn't sure about her defiant tone. Perhaps she was **too** strong, too cocky...

He was pulled away from his thoughts when he noticed Ericka staring at him and smiling. "Yes?"

"Nothing," she answered and her smile was quickly replaced by the serene, watchful look that had controlled her face for the majority of the time she had been there.

Magneto decided not to pry and instead turned to his desk and began rooting through the pile of papers on it. "Aren't you supposed to be with your mother?"

"She's fine. Charlie's with her."

"Charlie, yes... what's her story?"

"She's insane," Ericka answered, jokingly. Then added, after realizing what her grandfather's question really meant, "But don't worry, she's trustworthy. In fact, I'd say you can trust her more than Aunt Wanda..."

"Really?" he asked, slowly looking up from the papers. "What do you mean by that?"

"Oh, nothing," Ericka answered. "So what is it that you need my help with?"

Magneto looked back down toward his desk. She wasn't telling him something, but finding out what that was wasn't going to be easy. He decided that he would make that attempt at another time and made a mental note to keep an eye on his daughter.

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

Kitty quickly stood up and raced to her closet to get dressed. "What happens next? You have to tell me everything!" she yelled to Charlie from inside.

"Well, after Dad died..."

Kitty shot her head out of the closet. "Pietro's dead?!"

"**Presumed **dead. He disappeared the day the war began."

"Today..." Kitty said quietly, piecing it all together.

"Yes," Charlie agreed. "Which is why we have to get a move on it! Hurry up!"

Kitty nodded and went back inside. "Continue, please."

"As I was saying, after Dad died Grandpa rushed his plans. We think that he was just trying to avoid facing the fact that his son was dead and distract himself, and what a distraction it was! He started off with a threat to the U.N. He claims that he was being just by giving them a chance to willingly put him in control. He promised that if they did so no harm would come to their people."

Kitty tossed clothes and shoes and hats out of her way in a rush to get to the one thing she was looking for. She hadn't looked at it in 2 years, but she knew it was in her closet somewhere. She kept searching as she listened to Charlie explain her maniac grandfather's plan for world domination as if she were reading it out of a textbook.

"Naturally, the U.N. didn't give in. Magneto had made many threats in the past, all of which were thwarted by the same band of mutants. I assume you know who I'm talking about?"

Kitty found a dusty, brown box sitting behind the out-of-style shoes. She blew off the top layer of dust and slowly ran her fingers over the word written on the lid. She smiled and answered, "I know who you're talking about."

"The President called Professor Xavier at the mansion to make sure he was aware of the situation... He didn't answer. Then he sent some personnel to the Xavier Institute for Higher Learning... The place was empty, deserted. It was as if everyone had just vanished!

"The U.N. met. Some said that they should give in to Magneto's demands, believing that they didn't have a chance of fighting against him without the X-Men. Others still had faith that their militaries were enough of a defense. In the end, it was decided that they would stand their ground. If Magneto killed them all, they would have at least died with honor."

Kitty opened the box and held up the article of clothing in front of her. The scent of it drifted toward her and a flood of memories filled her mind. She then began to undress.

Charlie was silent for a moment before continuing more solemnly. "War waged for what felt like an eternity. Magneto's army was smaller but they had the upper hand due to the fact that they required no weapons. They were the weapons. The bravest and truest men the world had ever seen were killed without a second thought. In only a few short days there was nothing standing between Magneto and his throne. His dream was about to become reality. His people would finally get the respect and lifestyle that they deserved. And all it took was wiping out a large chunk of the human race."

Kitty noticed that Charlie sounded as if she were about to cry. She was glad that the granddaughter of Magneto still had compassion for Homo sapiens. _'She must take after me,' _she thought.

Charlie took a deep breath and continued. "There was one last stand against him: the mutant rebels who had been forming an alliance against Magneto since the founding of Genosha. They were the surviving humans' only hope."

Kitty stepped out of the closet to see her daughter staring out the window with a distant look in her eyes. She asked quietly, "They didn't win, did they?"

Charlie shook her head. "They were too late. Magneto had gained too much power." She swallowed and blinked back tears. "They died; every last one of them."

Kitty put her hand on her daughter's shoulder and realized that this story was not emotional for her because she felt bad for all of the humans; at least that's not the only reason. There were also all of the friends she must have lost. Good mutants who were just trying to stand up for what is right. Then Kitty remembered what Ericka had said before, about not talking to ghosts. Tears started to form in her own eyes as she realized it. "Charlie," she said calmly. "**I **was in the resistance, wasn't I?"

Charlie nodded.


	5. Chapter 5

The Story I Couldn't Think Of A Title For

By: XMENobsession

**AN: **I like this chapter. I'm starting to like the entire story. Not that I didn't like it before, it is my story after all, but there was a time when I had given up all hope for it. It was just too confusing, but I've worked out mostly everything in my head to make sense and now all I have to do is write it so that everyone else understands it. Easier said than done.

Sorry this one took a while too. I think I've lost most of my fanbase (as if there was much of one to begin with. Dance On was so much better. But I think this is getting there...) I only write when I have inspiration, I can't force myself to write; at least not anything good, which is why I don't like writing in school. I'd like to say I'm going to work harder on the story now and not take so long for the next chapter, but I can't promise anything. I would like to, but I can't. Sorry.

I love everyone who bothered to read this really long Author's Note. I'm in a very chatty mood. However it's 12:00 at night and there is no one to talk to. I could go on the internet, but I really should go to sleep. I'll stop writing now.

READ THE CHAPTER!!!!!! AND **REVIEW!!!**

**DISCLAIMER:** I own nothing! Not the people, not the place, and definitely not the paper!

Chapter 5

"So what did you need my help with?" Erika asked her grandfather.

Magneto stared at a spot on the wall as he answered, "My path to victory will not be a happy one, I am afraid. There are many hardships that must be felt; many sacrifices that must be made. I need you to eliminate the only thing that has ever stood in my way."

"You want me to kill the X-Men," Erika answered knowingly.

"Yes," Magneto said without emotion. "I want you to kill the X-Men."

Erika could tell that he was trying to mask something. Compassion, perhaps? She had never seen him show this toward anyone but her sister and herself. Who were these X-Men, that they had managed to win such a coveted spot in the Master of Magnetism's heart, and why did they need to be 'sacrificed'?

Erika, like all children of the future, had been taught of Magneto's 'path to victory'. She knew that it was a necessary step, and never would have guessed that she would be given the honar of fulfilling it herself. But the textbooks never did say whether the X-Men were good or bad; only that they needed to be eliminated for the greater good. And her grandfather's covered reaction to his request made Erika think, 'You only **sacrifice** something that is **good**.' However, she had learned early on that her own thoughts were meaningless, what mattered was what her grandfather wanted and right now he wanted the X-Men gone.

"When do you want me to do it?"

Magneto stopped looking at the wall and faced downward, toward his desk. "I would like the job done by tomorrow." The word 'job' made it feel more like a business arrangement instead of the truth: that he had just asked his grandaughter to kill one of his oldest and best friends.

"Than, come tomorrow night, you will have nothing to worry about."

"Thank you," Magneto mumbled to his desk.

"Will Charlie be coming with me?"

Magneto thought on this for a moment before answering, "No. I believe you are fully capable of handling this on your own."

Erika nodded and left the room. Truthfully, she would have enjoyed her sister's company on a trip to a continent she had never been before, but she would not object to her grandfather's decision. She never did.

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

Kitty turned her daughter so that she looked directly into her tear-filled eyes. "I understand how horrible it must have been," she said calmly. "but you cannot mourn for me now, or anyone else who was lost in the war because right now they are all alive and most likely have no idea what's about to happen. We have to tell them. If we act quickly we might be able to stop the chain of events that led up to the monarchy future you live in."

Charlie nodded and wiped the tears away from her eyes. Kitty stood up and Charlie noticed for the first time what she had put on. "What kind of outfit is that?"

Kitty looked at her ensemble and blushed. "I figured it would be appropriate, you know, with the whole battling against Magneto thing."

"Where did you get it?" Charlie asked, smiling again.

"It was my uniform when I was in the X-Men. I had to phase my way into it but it still fits pretty well, don't you think?"

"It looks a little tight..."

"It feels a little tight, but it'll do for now. What's our next move?"

Charlie stood up and walked out of the room, her mother quickly following. "We need to rally the rebels and get them off the island somehow. Genosha is no longer safe for anyone even suspected of plotting against Grandpa."

"How do we get such a large number of people off Genosha without looking suspicious?"

"The island is protected by machines that mask it on any radar and even makes it somewhat transparent when looked at by the naked eye. If a pilot were to see anything it would be easy to immediately dismiss it as a trick of the eye. If these machines were to be broken it would be Grandpa's first priority to fix them, especially now that the war has started. He doesn't need any human knowing where his base is."

"So we sneak into the control room and break these cloaking devices. Sounds easy enough. And while every mechanic is busy with this crisis..."

"There will be no one to guard the jets. We'll hotwire a few and fly ourselves out of here."

"Sounds like a plan. Now let's go start this rebellion."

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

Pietro felt a churning feeling in his stomach that made him want to throw up, but he attempted to ignore this and opened his eyes. He was on his knees on marble floor and standing in front of him was an older version of Magneto.

"P...Pietro?" Magneto said quietly and offered his hand to help him up.

Pietro acctepted it and stood to face his very shocked father.

"Dad...?" he asked warily and out of breath.

Magneto's older but still dazzlingly blue eyes lit up as he smiled and pulled his son into a firm hug, something Pietro had never seen him do to anyone before. Magneto began to laugh and when he stopped hugging Pietro and held him at arm's length to get a good look at him, Pietro noticed that he had cried a little too.

"I thought you were dead!" Magneto exclaimed.

"Dead? Why would I be dead?" Pietro struggled to remember all that had happened before he blacked out. He and Kitty had stormed Lensherr Laboratory. There was a fight and the twins were in front of some machine... "The twins!"

Pietro frantically began looking around for them. He found them sitting contededly next to where he had awoken. He picked them both up, holding one on each hip and kissed their heads repeatedly relieved that nothing had happened to them. Somewhat like what Magneto had just done to him.

"Charlie and Erika..." Magneto said, not quite believing what his old eyes were seeing. "When I sent the older versions to the past I knew the machine would replace them with their younger selves, but I wasn't expecting you to come along with them!"

"Sorry. I don't really know what happened."

"You time-traveled, son. Although I can't understand how, without a future replacement." Pietro still looked puzzeled. "All will be explained fully in due time. For now let's get you all a good meal and a soft bed. Time-travel tends to be a bit harsh for first timers."

All Pietro could do was nod and follow his father.

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

In one half-hour, every rebel on the island of Genosha had managed to assemble into the usual meeting room under City Hall. They sat in orderly rows and chatted about what this emergency meeting was all about.

Kitty stepped up to the podium at the front and a swift silence fell over the room. "The war has begun," she said loudly and clearly, and the room erupted. After it had quieted down Kitty continued. "Magneto has been planning this for a while, I'm sure. Perhaps even since the founding of Genosha."

"What do we do?" came a voice from the audience.

"Our first move is to get everyone here off of the island, but in order to do that we need someone who has access to the Control Room. I was thinking, maybe..." Her eyes set on her friend Jean-Paul.

He determidely shook his head 'no'.

Kitty made a pouty face that screamed 'please?'.

Still, Jean-Paul refused.

"Fine then," Kitty said loud enough for the rest of the room to hear her. "I guess Magneto is just going to take over the world because one man was afraid to take a risk..."

The audiance all turned to look angrily at Jean-Paul.

"C'mon, man!" the mutant next to him said. "What are you afraid of? That Mags is gonna fire you?"

Jean-Paul sighed. "You really boxed me into a corner here, didn't you?"

Kitty smiled triumphantly and replied, "If that's what it takes. You know that you're the only one who can do this. You work directly for Magneto so no one will question you being there because they know it would go straight back to him. Besides, if something goes wrong you can get out of there in a flash."

"Fine then, I'll do it," he sighed.

Everyone cheered and those nearest Jean-Paul slapped him on the back. Then they all got to work on the specifics of the plan. Kitty paused for a moment before joining them. She was thinking of another mutant who could have gotten out of there 'in a flash', and who would have had an even less chance of being questioned. She sighed and tried to hold back the tears for just a little longer. He hadn't even been dead one day and already it felt like she had been a widow for a lifetime.


	6. Chapter 6

New World Order

By: XMENobsession

**AN: I'M BAAAAACK!! **I actually wrote this chapter a while, but never posted it. Don't know why… But anyways, I feel like writing again! YaY 4 U! Who knows how long this will last, though.  Sorry, I'm just unpredictable…

I love everyone who is still putting up with my bad updating and is still reading the story!! Thank you very much! Now don't forget to _**REVIEW!!**_

**DICLAIMER: **I own nothing! Not the people, not the places, and definitely not the paper!

Chapter 6

Erika and Charlie were fed and put to bed by a kind nanny Magneto had hired especially for this occasion. Though he had not planned on Pietro being there, it was not hard to make accommodations for him. He was quickly given a feast worthy of a king and a bed the size of five. Magneto sat with him as he ate, staring in wonderment as he tried to comprehend how he, a man who had done so much evil and stepped on so many people to get what he wanted, had been so blessed to have his only son resurrected from the dead. It was truly a miracle.

Magneto left Pietro alone when he went to bed, but the speed demon found it hard to sleep in such an unfamiliar place. It was the same mansion Magneto had lived in since it had been built on Genosha, but now it seemed different. The sheets smelled oddly and the entire place had an air of depression. Pietro realized that, though he was very tired, sleep would not come for him, so he went for a walk instead.

The corridors were cold and lifeless, and there were paintings lining the walls of Charlie, Erika, and Magneto. Magneto had had one family portrait painted each year. Kitty and Pietro were in the first one, but none after that. It was just Magneto and his granddaughters.

Pietro walked along the hallway and watched his daughters and father grow old. The twins became beautiful, strong women, but their grandfather was another story. Magneto was already an older man when they were born, but he was regal and proud. Pietro noticed that after the twins turned two, Magneto began to deteriorate; not in the sense that he was physically falling apart. It seemed that his emotional distress had leaked into his physical outlook causing him to look far older than had seemed possible for such a powerful man.

Pietro had not been told all that had happened in between the years he had disappeared and 'returned from the dead', but he knew it had to be something horrible to age his father so much.

He kept wandering and eventually came to a door which he entered to find his sister in. She was sitting at a vanity set and gazing into a mirror as she brushed her uncharacteristically long hair. "Hello, Pietro," she said without even looking away from her own reflection.

"Wanda? Um... What's up?"

"Nothing. Nothing ever happens around here, except for recently. You came back to life."

"I don't think I was ever dead, honestly."

"Oh, but you were." Wanda's voice had an eerie calmness about it. This was not the sister he had known. Something must have happened to her as well. "You died fifteen years ago, and father took over the world. Now we live as mutant kings and queens. All is as it should be."

"He took over the **world**?!" Pietro asked, not believing his father capable of such a feat.

"Yes," Wanda said quietly. "All is as it should be."

"How did he do it?" Pietro pulled a chair from against a nearby wall and sat next to his sister, eager to hear this story.

Wanda finally put down the hairbrush and turned toward her brother. He saw that her eyes had a glazed over look to them. The lights were on but nobody was home. She sighed and said to him, "Ignorance is bliss, isn't it? But if you must know..." She stood up, walked to a bookshelf, and picked out a brown book which she handed to Pietro before sitting down and continuing to brush her hair.

The front of the book said: The Rise of the Mutant Empire.

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

Kitty slowly walked through Lensherr Laboratory, the memories of what had just recently happened there fresh in her mind. She entered the large room where Magneto had left the time machine; not a very smart move, but it's not like he had been given much time to move it. This was where she lost her husband, her babies, everything. But she was determined to win it all back.

She gently touched it and a thought came to her. Just maybe... Kitty began to fiddle around with the knobs and buttons on the side of the time machine, but eventually gave up knowing that it was useless. She couldn't get him back this easily. She sat against the wall and sighed.

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

Pietro was smiling all through the book. He was very proud of his father's skill. Every once in a while he would look around and notice how big the room was or think about how expensive every item in it was. Magneto had actually accomplished something. He was the king, this was his castle, and the world was his kingdom. For the first time in a very long time, Pietro was proud to be the Master of Magnetism's son.

He laughed at his own luck and turned the page to see the last thing he expected. The majority of the page was taken up by a picture of a petite brunette with big blue eyes, surrounded by rubble: Kitty. At first, the sight of his wife made him even more jubilant. That is, until he read the caption below the picture: (Above) Kitty Pryde was one of the many rebel casualties of the Mutant-Human War.

He paused, read the line over, and paused again. He repeated this a number of times over before the information actually sank in. "Is this true?" he asked his sister.

"Hmm?" Wanda stopped brushing and leaned over to look at the book. "Oh, that! Yes, it's true. Many rebels died in the war. All for the best." She gave Pietro a creepy smile and sat upright on her chair once more.

Pietro read the caption one more time. 'Kitty Pryde'. Pryde? _Pryde?! _He threw the book on the floor and ran out of the room in search of his father.

Magneto was actually walking down the hall outside of Wanda's room at the time that Pietro opened the heavy doors. "Magneto!" he yelled at the top of his lungs. The Master of Magnetism was taken aback by the air of fury surrounding his son as he raced toward him. "Pietro, what's the...?"

Pietro grabbed Magneto by the collar and pushed him up against a wall, which was surprisingly easy to do. "Pryde?" he yelled at him. "Pryde?! You watch her die in your stupid war and don't even have the decency to let her go with the Maximoff name?! If I find her grave what's it going to say? 'Cause if I see the word 'Pryde' than I swear I will kill you with my own hands!!"

Magneto's eyes were wide and full of fear. Pietro saw old age clearly in his face and eased up on his grip. "Pietro, I don't know what to tell you. Kitty's loss was hard on everyone in Genosha, but she was a part of the resistance. What would you expect me to do? Throw the entire war to save the life of one person?"

Pietro looked down and mumbled, "You could have done **something.**"

"No," Magneto said as he shook his head. "I couldn't have. I know you loved her, but..."

"Loved? No. Love. She's not gone!"

"Yes, she is. As much as you want to, you can't bring her back. I'm sorry, son."

Pietro couldn't take this. She wasn't dead. She couldn't be. He looked into his fathers eyes determinedly and said, "I came back, didn't I?" He dropped his father and ran down the long hall at the highest speed he could reach. He kept running until he reached the room he had first 'appeared' in only a short while ago. It was a decently sized room with marble flooring and crimson colored walls. The only thing in it was the time machine.

Obviously very well maintained, the machine looked just as new as it had fifteen years ago. Pietro knelt in front of it and gazed at the numerous knobs and switches on its side. He began pressing them at random; hoping to have some sort of reaction, but none came. He lay down on the floor and stared at the ceiling, remembering how tired he was. He had almost drifted into sleep when he saw a face in front of him.

"You miss her," Wanda said in that new eerie voice of hers. Pietro nodded. "She misses you too."

He was about to ask how she knew that, but before he could Wanda continued, "I can help you." Pietro immediately sat up. "But you have to do me a favor."

"Anything," Pietro said, eager to go home.

Wanda was quiet for a minute, and then said, "You have to promise me that you'll save me."

Pietro wasn't sure what she meant by that, but when she looked at him with her glazed-over eyes he saw that there was still something behind them that was trying to fight back, but couldn't. "I promise," he said. Something had happened to his sister. The question was 'what?'


	7. Chapter 7

New World Order

By: XMENobsession

**AN: **YaY for chappie 7!! Hope you enjoy!

**DISCLAIMER: **I own nothing! Not the people, not the place, and definitely not the paper!

Chapter 7

Pietro was quiet for a minute, thinking on his sister's request, and then answered solemnly, "I promise."

Wanda nodded and turned toward the time machine. "You need at least five people to get it to work unless you have father's ability to manipulate metal."

Pietro sighed. "That helps..."

"You could also manage with a more... arcane form of powers."

Pietro's head shot up. "You...?"

Wanda nodded again. "It's not hard. Who do you think brought you here?"

"Huh? How?"

"Fifteen years ago, when you stormed the lab, I... I was selfish. I knew you'd try to stop us, and then we'd never get the revenge mutant kind so desperately needed. I wanted you out of the picture; you'd only distract father. So... so I 'altered' things a bit... it wasn't very hard..."

"You got rid of me."

"Yes, but then I saw the error of my ways. You were the only one who could have helped us! So when it came time for the children to be switched, I pulled you into our time to save you, and ask you to save me. Please forgive me..."

Pietro saw tears well up in her eyes. "It's okay. You only did what you thought was right."

She turned to him and gave him one meaningful look before her eyes quickly glazed over once more. She had gotten control for a moment, but was not strong enough to hold it.

"How do I get home?"

Wanda turned to the machine and held out her right hand. The machine immediately started spinning and glowing.

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

"Mom?" Charlie called as she entered the room. When she saw Kitty slouched against the wall with tear-stained cheeks she sat next to her and gave her a squeeze. "I know, I miss him too, but, like you said earlier, there is no time to mourn now. We've managed to obtain a jet and the rebels are ready to go."

Kitty wiped her eyes on her sleeve and stood up. "You're right. Thank you."

Charlie stood as well. "Anytime. Now let's get going; we don't have much time."

The two hurried out of the lab together. As the doors boomed shut behind them, the time machine started whirring.

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

"All systems are a go," Northstar said in the pilot seat of one of the three jets the rebels had 'acquired'.

"We are ready to go as well," a Russian voice said through the speakers, followed by a third voice, "Dido."

"All right guys, we are off."

The jet started down the runway, slowing picking up speed. By the time it reached the sky it was going too fast to be seen by the naked eye. Two others quickly followed it.

"My," a female mutant said, covering her ears, "Takeoff is quite... loud!"

Kitty nodded. "You're right, Psylocke. They definitely noticed that..."

"Which is why we're going as fast as this hunk-o-steel will let us," Northstar said. "Approximated time of arrival: half an hour."

"Where exactly are we going, again?" Psylocke asked, "I know we had to get off the island, but where do we go? We're outcasts in the rest of the world; that's why we went to Genosha in the first place!"

"Not everywhere in the world," Kitty said. "The Xavier Institute. They'll give us food, shelter, and assistance."

"That's if it's still there," Charlie said quietly. "Don't forget what I told you before; the X-Men vanished the day the war began. Today!"

"That's right." Kitty bit her lip. "Is there any way we can get there sooner?"

"I already told you," Northstar replied. "We're going as fast as we can."

Kitty sighed. "I hope we make it in time."

All were silent for a while, basking in the hopelessness of the situation. However, Psylocke did not accept this. "You say the X-Men vanished?" she asked, breaking the silence. "That's impossible."

"They were never seen again. Vanish seems to describe that pretty well," Charlie answered.

"But people don't just vanish!"

Charlie was about to reply to this when Kitty intervened. "Hey! Are you two forgetting that they might still be there? We might still make it?"

Neither Charlie nor Psylocke answered this, but everyone present knew that the chances of that happening were slim.

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

Erika took her grandfather's private jet to the Westchester airport. When she got off she was met by a handsome blonde man holding a sign with her name written neatly on it. She walked right by him, preferring to work alone. Outside, she hailed a cab and told the driver to take her to "The Xavier Institute for Higher Learning".


	8. Chapter 8

New World Order

By: XMENobsession

**AN: **Here it is! Enjoy!!

**DISCLAIMER:** I own nothing! Not the people, not the place, and definitely not the paper!

Chapter 8

Erika knocked on the door of the Institute, and waited. There was no answer. She knocked again. "They probably can't hear you," a voice said from behind her. She was surprised (something that didn't happen very often), and turned to see a young man. He was blonde with blue eyes and a dazzling smile, and he was wearing a short-sleeved shirt, though it was winter.

"Hi," he said walking up to Erika and holding out his hand. "I'm Bobby."

Erika hesitated, but shook his hand. "Erika. Do you know if Professor Xavier is here?"

Bobby scrunched his nose as he thought. "Hmm... Should be. Why?"

"I'm a mutant, and I know what the term "Gifted Youngsters" on the sign at the gates means."

"Oh," Bobby said, losing his cheerful tone. "Well then, follow me." He led her into the mansion. "Professor!" he yelled into the high ceiling of the foyer. The only answer was his echo. He turned to Erika, smiled, and closed his eyes to concentrate on screaming as loudly as he could in his mind. The professor was silent again, however Jean Grey was not.

"Bobby!" she mentally yelled back. "I've asked you before to keep your thoughts down!"

"Sorry, Jean," Bobby silently replied as Erika stared at him curiously. "Is the professor home?"

"He's in Cerebro, and very busy. So if it's not an emergency, please do not disturb him."

"Oh, okay. Sorry." He opened his eyes and mouth to explain the situation to Erika, but she simply held up her hand to silence him.

"I know."

"You're a telepath?" Bobby asked, surprised.

Erika grinned. "I'm a lot of things."

Bobby raised his eyebrows. Though he was a little freaked out by this girl, he was also very intrigued. Something about her was different than anyone he'd ever met. He liked it. "Well, the professor won't be able to speak to you for a while, so... would you like something to drink?"

Erika's somewhat wry grin turned into a soft smile as she answered, "I'd love a cup of coffee."

They entered the empty kitchen and Bobby poured two cups. He sat across the table from her and watched as she took small, somehow delicate sips. He noticed that her nails were well manicured and painted the same rosy color as her lips.

"Where are the students?" she asked, pulling Bobby out of his thoughts. "This is a school after all right?"

"Oh, they're around, I'm sure. Classes ended a little while ago and they tend to run off to all corners of the world until dinner."

"How many are there?"

"How many what?"

"Students."

Bobby sighed. "Not enough. We used to be a lot bigger, but... stuff happens, y'know."

Erika nodded. "What about you? Are you a student?"

"Some days," Bobby laughed. "I haven't gone to regular classes in a while."

"Oh? Why not?"

Bobby simply shrugged, and the two sat in silence for a while, each lost in their own thoughts. Actually, Erika was lost in Bobby's. Being raised by Magneto she was taught that her telepathic abilities were hers to use when she pleased. If she wanted to know what someone was thinking, she read their mind without a second thought on the person's privacy. That is, anyone but her grandfather. His was the only mind she dared not pry open. But Bobby was an open book.

His parents were ashamed of him and his gift, his first girlfriend broke up with him because of it; even he began to regret what Erika considered a blessing. He was a fairly simple person; good education, nice friends, and a family he'd rather hide in the back of his mind than confront. After a few minutes Erika got tired of his history and moved on to his present only to discover a sense of nervousness. He was thinking about her. At this discovery Erika almost dropped her coffee.

"Whoa! Are you okay?"

"Yeah," she answered, recovering herself. "I just... spaced for a second there." She chugged what was left of the coffee and stood up.

"Would you like some more?" Bobby asked, standing as well.

"No, thank you." They stared at each other for a second. Erika noticed that Bobby was blushing and turned her head away when she realized she was too.

"Um...," Bobby began awkwardly. "It snowed last night."

Erika looked out the window to see a thick layer of white on the ground. "Yes, I see."

"I was actually in the middle of building a snow man when you showed up..."

"I'm sorry for disturbing you."

"No! I didn't mean... Would you like to help me finish it?"

Erika looked back up at Bobby's flushed face. A voice in her head told her "no", she wasn't here for snowmen; there were more important things at hand. Yet she went outside anyway_. 'I can't get to the professor right now anyway. I'll just pass the time with this loser and finish the job once Xavier comes out of that sanctuary of his.'_

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

"Sir, the cloaking devices are down!"

"Your Highness, 3 jets are missing from the hangar!"

"Magneto..."

"Yes?!" Magneto responded angrily, annoyed at all of these arising problems.

The man stopped short at the sight of the king's glowing eyes. "You... your coffee?"

Magneto calmed down and accepted the large mug with the words '#1 Grandpa' neatly written on it. He sat behind his desk and gazed at the many men standing in front of him. "Where is Northstar?" he asked after a minute of observing.

"Missing," one of them men answered. "No doubt, headed for the same destination as the jets. In fact, almost half of the Mutant Council has disappeared. Sir, it appears we a have a rebellion on our hands."

Magneto sighed. "We knew it was very possible. Someone get my granddaughter." All of the men quickly managed to avoid eye contact. "What?"

"Sir," one bravely said. "Charlie um... appears to have left the island as well."

Magneto's silence was worse than any scolding he could have given. He seemed to stare through each one of the men before saying, very quietly, "You may leave now." They all filed out silently; all except one.

"Should we postpone our plans?" Pyro asked.

"No," Magneto answered. "We must continue on, no matter what."

"Are you sure? We expected a rebellion, but so soon? And Charlie is a part of it!"

Magneto nodded. "It is quite a blow, but we still have Erika on our side. She seems to be the stronger one, and certainly more loyal. She's inherited her father's will, while Charlie was, sadly, given her mother's compassion. I trust that Erika will do her duty, as told."

Pyro was still suspicious, but said nothing and left the room.

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

"I think he's handsome," Erika said sarcastically while looking over the snowman she had helped create. Nothing about it seemed right, yet she was proud of it just the same. Bobby simply laughed and Erika quickly joined in. It was the first time she had laughed in a while.

"Well, no denying it's a mutant," Bobby said. "The only thing missing is lasers shooting out of its eyes or wings or something."

Erika smiled and heard a ring. She took her phone out of her pocket. The caller id said "Grandpa". There was no reason to answer it; she knew what he would say. She needed to hurry up.

"Is everything okay?" Bobby asked, seeing the look that crossed her face.

"Yeah, fine. I just... really need to speak to Professor Xavier. Do you think he's available yet?"

Bobby shrugged. "Let's go check."

Erika watched him walk away and frowned. These feelings were unnatural for her, and for the first time in her life she wished she was not King Magnus's granddaughter. However, no matter how much she wished she couldn't change facts. She was an important part of the Mutant Empire, and this was one of the most important things she would ever do. She turned away from Bobby and bit her lip tightly as a nearby shovel was raised into the air and towards the back of Bobby's head. _'One down...'_


	9. Chapter 9

New World Order

By: XMENobession

**AN: **Happy Valentine's Day!! My gift to you all is this chappie.

**DISCLAIMER: **I own nothing! Not the people, not the places, and definitely not the paper!

Chapter 9

"We're coming up to the Institute now," Northstar said as the speed of the jet slowed down.

Kitty, who was sitting by the window, closed her eyes tightly. She thought back to the mansion when she was a student; the regal vines growing on the walls, the graceful fountain, and, most importantly, the smiles that had always greeted her and that had promised when she left to be there waiting at her return. She slowly opened her eyes. They had broken their promise. The once grand and majestic Xavier Institute lay in rubble.

The jet landed and Kitty was the first one out. She gazed at the hopeless sight and fell to her knees. Charlie put a comforting hand on her shoulder, but she knew there was nothing she could do.

Psylocke sighed, and after a few minutes of silence said, "_This_ is the headquarters of the great X-Men?"

"It was," Kitty said. "We were too late." She wiped her eyes and stood. "What do we do now?" she asked, turning to Charlie. "Without the X-Men is there any way to stop him?"

Charlie looked from the broken down walls to the broken spirits of the people around her. "There must be. No man is unstoppable. He shall fall at the hands of the rebels in the end!"

The others nodded, fierce determination shining in their eyes. All except Kitty, that is. More tears welled up in her eyes as she took one last glance on her old home and whispered to herself, "It'll take a miracle..."

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

Pietro jumped back when the machine began to spin and glow, but after an unemotional nod from his sister he walked into the blinding yellow light somewhat confidently. He then felt a repeated sensation of nausea and utter confusion of where exactly up was located. After a while the chaos around him seemed to settle down and his breathing began to steady. He then realized he was lying on a cold floor. When he opened his eyes he could see straight down a flight of stairs. He was back in Lensherr Laboratory.

Pietro quickly gathered himself together and raced down the stairs. The room was completely empty and he wondered how much time had passed since his trip into the future, how much damage had already been done. He ran out of the building, through the forest, and into the city at top speed.

He managed to get past the unusually high number of guards at City Hall and wound up outside the door of Magneto's office. The door was slightly ajar and Pietro pushed it open a little more to better hear the conversation going on inside.

"Have you completed your assignment, Erika?" he heard his father say. Another voice, which he could tell came from a speakerphone, answered, "Yes, Grandpa. Everything was done exactly as you willed."

"Good," Magneto said, approvingly.

Pietro's mind raced behind the door. His daughter was on Magneto's side? What was her "assignment"? Most importantly, what would be the next one? His thoughts were interrupted by a hand on his shoulder. He tried to run, but found that his legs were completely paralyzed. The hand moved from his shoulder to his back and he felt a strong push that flew him through the door and right next to his father's desk. Magneto stared down at him, speechless.

The feeling in Pietro's legs returned and he managed to stand and see the foul person who had revealed his presence. He found himself face to face with none other than his sister. "Wanda?!"

"Pietro! How did you get here?" she asked her normal scowl on her face. Though Pietro had resented that look before, after meeting his future, apathetic sister he was glad to see any form of emotion.

"I would like to know the same thing," Magneto said breathlessly, rising from his seat. "Pietro, you... you're alive?"

The speed demon was immediately reminded of the older Magneto's shock. "Of course." He made sure he was facing Wanda as he added, "You can't get rid of me that easily."

Magneto, unlike his future counterpart, did not hug Pietro nor shed a single tear. "Well... Welcome back," was all that escaped his lips, though he did manage to add an almost silent, "Son."

"Pietro, how did you get back?" Wanda asked.

"I don't really know," he lied. "I just woke up."

"All for the best," Magneto said, sitting behind his desk again. "Now you can help us."

"Help you? Why would I do that? You kidnapped my children, remember?"

Magneto looked his son in the eye and answered, "All for the best."

Pietro shook his head. "How? What exactly is it that you want from them?"

Magneto sighed. "They have very special abilities which are necessary to the rise of the Mutant Empire."

Pietro simply stared at his father. "Continue, please..."

Magneto turned to Wanda. "Could we have some privacy, please?"

Wanda, at first, looked hurt at her father's distrust of her, but she then succumbed to the realization that her father would never think her the speed demon's equal. She bowed her head and walked away.

Magneto closed the door behind her and walked closer to Pietro. "A couple of weeks ago," he said quietly, "Destiny came to me with a vision she had. She said she saw a future with mutants in control, answering only to a powerful ruler. This ruler owed all of his power to two beautiful muses he called "Victory" and "Glory". They were stronger than an entire army of mutants, and defeated any opposition the Empire met."

"And you believe that these 'muses' are my daughters?"

"It makes sense, doesn't it? What are Erika and Charlie's middle names?"

Pietro mumbled something incomprehensible and Magneto continued.

"I chose not to wait fifteen years for my reign to begin. I knew a man very capable of creating a machine that would bring my future conquerors to me."

"And all you needed to do was trade in the older models, right?"

"You cannot simply take something from the future and leave nothing behind in its place..."

"I did it!" Pietro yelled.

"What? You were in the future?" Magneto asked, shocked.

"Yes. I went with the twins, and returned by the same machine. I've seen your empire."

"Have you really? And was it not spectacular?"

"It was... interesting."

"Nothing else?"

Pietro stared at the floor. "Nothing I would tell you."


	10. Chapter 10

New World Order

By: XMENobsession

**AN:** Once again, real life has distracted me from the much more important made-up reality in my head. I'm sorry. Here is chapter 10 for your reading pleasure, and I kindly request that you **REVIEW!!**

**DISCLAIMER:** I own nothing! Not the people, not the places, and definitely not the paper!

Chapter 10

"You are a foolish child to withhold such vital information from not only your king, but your father!"

"I guess I am."

Pietro and Magneto glared at each other in silence.

"Why are you so stubborn?" Magneto asked.

"I get it from you."

Magneto laughed to himself. "I suppose you do... Fine. If you choose not to disclose this information, that's your decision. I would have thought my own son, my heir, would have acted differently in such a critical hour, but I guess this is what I should have expected. After all, you married an X..."

"Don't you say another word!" Pietro yelled.

Magneto stared at his son a moment longer and then dropped his head. "Go."

"Where?" Pietro asked.

"I don't care! Just go!"

Pietro walked out of the room and slammed the door behind him. He raced to the gardens and sat down on the same bench Kitty had sat on not too long ago. He watched the same flower she had and thought back to when life actually seemed to be going his way. After Kitty got pregnant with the twins, he thought it was the end of him. If Magneto or the X-Men didn't kill him, then the stress of fatherhood certainly would.

But instead of being furious, Magneto actually seemed somewhat happy about being a grandfather. He moved Pietro and Kitty to Genosha, and quickly got them married (it was the proper thing to do, after all). Then the mutants started to pour in and the buildings shot up. Genosha became a bustling city and Pietro's life couldn't have gotten better. He worked for his father, helping to make decisions on the Mutant Council and doing odd jobs around the city, especially ones which required speed. The twins were born and seemed to grow quicker than Pietro could run. For the first time in his life he was completely content with the world. That all changed in one day.

There had been rumors of an underground rebellion, but Pietro never believed any of them. He'd never seen his father act so... normal. He didn't believe he was capable of killing again. _'Idiot,'_ Pietro thought to himself on the stone bench. _'I knew he was still the same villain he always was; I just didn't want to believe it... So did nothing while he plotted his revenge on the humans. I stood there and watched as the events unfolded in front of me, leading up to...'_ He stopped, the picture of Kitty in that book clear in his mind. _'It was all my fault...'_

A hand fell on Pietro's shoulder. He turned his head to see who it belonged to and met two mesmerizing eyes.

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

"So what's our next move?" Northstar asked Charlie.

Charlie gazed at the rubble around her. "Now that the X-Men are dead our chances are slim. Magneto will attack New York City in two days. We need to prepare to meet him."

"Without a base?" Psylocke asked.

Kitty's head shot up. "There might be another place..." The others looked at her expectantly. "Put on the jets' invisible shields."

"That won't stop Magneto from finding them," Northstar said.

"But it'll stop other people. Magneto can have his jets if he wants them; they're of no use to us anymore. Besides, the place I have in mind is within walking distance."

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

Kitty inhaled deeply as she stared at the familiar door. She felt odd standing there, but had nowhere else to go. She turned to glance at the group of mutants standing behind her one more time before knocking.

A tall, brown-haired man answered. "Kitty!" he said, shocked at the reappearance of an old friend and enemy.

Kitty raised her head to look him in the face. "Hello, Lance."

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

Pietro awoke later. He couldn't remember how long he had been asleep or how he had gotten where he was. Wait, where was he? He looked around groggily. He was in a cell. Stone walls surrounded him on three sides and silver bars prevented him from accessing the rest of the room. It all looked new and clean. It didn't take long for him to realize that he was still on Genosha.

He heard footsteps coming closer and sat up. Magneto walked up to the silver bars, held out a hand, and stepped through the doorway he had just made. "Pietro?" He held out a hand to his son.

Pietro stared at it for a moment. Something immediately told him not to take his father's hand, but he couldn't remember why. Magneto had always been a good father to him. He'd given him a home, a job, and now he was willing to give him a second chance, an opportunity to make up for all the wrong he'd done. Pietro finally accepted Magneto's hand and stood up. "I'm sorry."

Magneto smiled at him. "It's alright. Now come, we have much to do before we leave for New York." Magneto turned and began to walk away. Pietro was about to follow, but then noticed the other man that had entered the cell with Magneto: Mastermind.

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

"So that's why we need your help," Kitty said after explaining the previous events to the Brotherhood of Evil Mutants. "That is, if you're willing to give it."

Lance leaned back in his chair. "Magneto formed the Brotherhood. He gave me a place to call home."

"I know."

"And then he abandoned us. He used the Brotherhood for his own villainous purposes, and forgot about it once he found a new project." Lance leaned forward and shook Kitty's hand. "We'd be happy to help."

Kitty smiled broadly. "I'm so happy to hear you say that! Now, the first thing we need is a base." She looked around the room. "I was thinking..."

Lance laughed. "Well, it's not much..."

"But better than nothing."

"You're welcome here for as long as you need." He turned to the rest of the group Kitty had come with. "All of you."

"Thank you," Kitty said quietly to Lance before getting up to help the rest of the rebels settle into the Brotherhood house.

That night, while the rest of the rebels and the Brotherhood were eating, Kitty went out front and sat on the porch. She stared at the cloudy sky. There were no stars out that night, and it somehow made Kitty feel lonelier.

"Hey," Lance said and sat down next to Kitty. "You don't want anything to eat?"

"Nah. I'm fine, thanks."

"Are you sure? There's a lot we have to do before facing Magneto; you need your strength."

Kitty smiled. "You shouldn't be worrying about me."

"I've been worrying about you for the past two years."

"Really?" Kitty turned to Lance and saw him staring at her caringly.

"Ever since you left, a day hasn't gone by that I didn't think about you."

"Lance..."

"I know this must sound odd. I mean, we broke up years ago, and I was sure I was over you. When you and Pietro got together I... I was jealous, and then you left with him. I never wanted to admit it, but I still have feelings for you."

Kitty wanted to say something, anything, but nothing would come out. Lance's face was so close to her own that she could smell the Milky Way he had just eaten. She finally managed to let out a quiet, "Lance..." but the rest of her words were quickly stifled by Lance's lips on hers.


	11. Chapter 11

New World Order

By: XMENobsession

**AN: **If the letter 'i' is ever missing in one of my chapters, I'm terribly sorry, but the 'i' button on my laptop has to be pushed really hard in order for it to work. It's very annoying, but I'm afraid it can't be helped. :-(

Well, here is the 11th addition to my much too neglected story. I hope you enjoy and **REVIEW.**

**DISCLAIMER:** I own nothing! Not the people, not the places, and definitely not the paper!

Chapter 11

Kitty pulled away from the kiss quickly. "Lance!"

"I'm sorry," Lance said. "I..."

"I'm married!"

"I know..."

"I have two kids!"

"I know..."

"We..."

"I know, I know, I know! I'm sorry, okay? I just...I couldn't help myself. I'd be lying if I said I ever got over you, but that's no excuse..." Lance put his face in his hands. "I'm sorry."

Kitty placed a comforting hand on his arm. "It's okay... Well, no, it's not, but it was half my fault. Mistakes happen, right?"

Lance looked up at her. "Right. So, we pretend this never happened?"

Kitty nodded and Lance stood to go inside. "Lance..."

He stopped. "Yeah?"

"Umm... No awkwardness, please? I mean, the last thing we need right now is us feeling odd around each other."

"Okay."

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

"You completed your assignment?" Wanda asked Erika as they walked through City Hall towards Magneto's office.

"Yes," Erika answered calmly. "You?"

Wanda snickered. "As if he'd trust me enough to give me something important to do."

"He doesn't trust you?"

"Never has. He seemed to be getting over it, but recently..." Erika gave her aunt a look that urged her to continue, but Wanda simply said, "I think that's all I should be telling you."

"Do you not trust me?" Erika asked.

They had arrived in front of Magneto's office, and Wanda paused before answering, "You've yet to give me a reason to," before opening the door. Erika simply shrugged at this reply and followed her aunt into the room. Inside they found Magneto, Pietro, and Pyro gathered around Magneto's desk, all staring down at a map of New York City.

"After Pyro enters Times Square, you will... Oh, hello ladies."

"Father," Wanda said callously. "Are you planning the attack on the city?"

"No, not planning. This has been planned for centuries, it seems. We're simply... reviewing," Magneto answered. "Erika, are you prepared?"

Erika nodded. "I have been for centuries, but isn't Aunt Wanda coming as well?"

Magneto shot his daughter a quick glance, and then mused while watching his granddaughter's unmoving face. "We'll discuss it."

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

Kitty left Lance alone on the porch as she entered the dark house and closed the door behind her. She sighed silently and headed for the stairs, but someone blocked her path.

"He's not dead, you know."

Kitty had not seen Charlie standing in the darkness and jumped at her sudden statement. "Charlie?! How long have you been there?"

"He's_ not _dead! 'Til_ death_ do us part.' You remember that, right?"

"Charlie... It wasn't what you think. Lance and I..."

"You have a past, right? And I suppose the two years you and Dad have been married mean nothing now... now that he's..."

"Not dead?"

Charlie bowed her head and, though Kitty could barely see her through the dark, she knew that tears were running down her cheeks. "Charlie..." Kitty said soothingly as she wrapped her arms around her daughter. "I know it's hard. I don't want to believe it either, but..."

"But what? I'm sorry that I can't let him go quite as easily as you can! It's been 15 years for me, and still I... and how long has it been for you? 2 days?!"

"15 years..." Kitty whispered. "And you still manage have faith? You truly believe he's alive?"

"It's all I can do to keep going. When you died I... I can still remember your body, lying there... but dad's was never found. He just disappeared." She'd stopped crying at this point and looked up at her mother, her red eyes full of love. "He's alive. I know it."

"Okay," Kitty said. "I believe you."

"Then what was...?"

"We may be the same age now, but don't forget that I'm still your mother, and there are some things mothers can't explain to their children. You're just going to have to trust me on this one."

Charlie was reluctant, but caved in the end. She nodded and walked up the stairs to bed. Kitty released another silent sigh.

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

"So what do you think?" Magneto asked his granddaughter after the other had left his office and they were alone in the room.

"About...?"

"Wanda. You've intimated before that she is untrustworthy."

"Yes, I have."

"This gives me reason to question whether I should put her on the New York assault coming up."

"I see how it could."

"So you agree I shouldn't?"

"No."

Magneto rested his face in his palm defeated. "What do you want me to do then?"

"Send her," Erika replied. "I believe she deserves a chance. She is your daughter, after all."

Magneto raised his head. "All right. My faith in you outweighs my uncertainty toward her, but don't make me regret it."

Erika smiled. "I won't."


	12. Chapter 12

New World Order

By: XMENobsession

**AN:** Well, here it is! I've been planning the ending of this chapter for a while, and I finally get to write it!! YaY! I hope you all enjoy it! **REVIEW!!**

**DISCLAIMER:** I own nothing! Not the people, not the places, and definitely not the paper!

Chapter 12

"This... this is where it all started," Kitty almost whispered to her daughter as they stood in front of Bayville High School. "We met out in the field, while trying to kill one another probably, but the first time we danced was in the gymnasium. I thought he was a pompous ass, but he was cute..."

"Ew!" Charlie laughed.

"Well, he was...is. But you and your sister get your good looks from me, of course."

"Of course."

Kitty gazed at the building and memories of her and her husband's courtship flooded her mind. It was only 2 years ago, but she suddenly felt so old. The end of the day bell rang and Kitty began to walk away, followed by Charlie.

"Do you miss it?" she asked.

Kitty glanced back. Students were beginning to pour out of the school and she quickened her pace, not wanting anyone to recognize her. "Sometimes. I have to admit they were simpler days, but I wouldn't trade you guys in for the world. Especially not the cute baby versions."

"Gee, thanks..."

They arrived at the Brotherhood house shortly and found Colossus working on a jet. "How did this get here?" Kitty asked.

Colossus stopped working, wiped his forehead with a nearby towel, and turned to face Kitty and Charlie. "We can't all fit in Lance's jeep, and Magneto hasn't sent anyone for it yet. Why not?"

"He's going to know we're here!"

"He couldn't have easily found that out otherwise? We need this to go to New York today."

Kitty bowed her head in defeat. "Will it be ready? We don't have much time..."

"Don't you worry about a thing, Katya. I'll be finished tuning it in a matter of minutes."

Kitty walked into the house, leaving Charlie and Piotr alone at the jet. "She worries too much," Piotr said.

"Yes," Charlie answered. "But she has reason to."

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Kitty's head shot up from the desk she had been napping on. She had the dream again; the one where she and Pietro are dancing and the roof crumbles in on them. It always manages to shock her into consciousness and leave her with an uneasy feeling. The desk was covered in plans for the New York mission. She'd been looking them over and must have dozed off. She walked into the kitchen to make herself a cup of coffee when she looked at the time. "Oh s...!"

Kitty raced out of the house, trying to put her boot on at the same time. When she finally reached the jet where the others were waiting for her she stopped and asked while trying to catch her breath, "Why... didn't you... wake me up?"

The others just smiled.

"What? Let's get moving! We're late now!"

Charlie giggled and shook her head. "No, we're not."

Kitty scrunched her face in confusion. "But you said..."

"We knew you'd be late, so we told you the wrong time," Piotr chuckled. "Funny, huh?"

Kitty didn't reply, and simply followed them onto the jet. In only a few minutes they were off to New York, and a battle that could help shape the future of the world.

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

"He really doesn't trust me," Wanda said about her father.

"He put you on the mission, didn't he? I think you're just being paranoid. He's given you no reason..." Pietro said.

"No reason?" Wanda asked in amazement. "He paired me with you didn't he?"

"Hey! I'm a good partner."

"You don't understand..." Pietro may have been oblivious to his new loyalty to Magneto, but Wanda was no fool. He was no more than one of their father's lackey's since Mastermind got a hold of him and the only reason they were paired together was so Pietro could make sure she stayed in line. Wanda hated it. Even after her brother impregnated an X-Man while still in high school, she was still second best in her father's eyes. Well, fourth now. Charlie, the little traitor, came before her as well as Erika.

Pietro nudged Wanda and pointed to his watch. They were walking around Times Square and it was about time to get the mission going. Wanda nodded and began to concentrate. The street lights glowed brighter and brighter until they eventually burst. Citizens ran into buildings to avoid the downpour and cars stopped dead in their tracks, some due to the confusion on the sidewalk and others because of their suddenly burst tires.

In all of the chaos the only two people who stood completely still were Wanda and Pietro. They were watching a familiar jet fly across the sky.

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

"What's going on down there?" Psylocke asked as she watched the panic on the ground.

"It's begun," Charlie said. "Mutants will flood the streets soon, wreaking havoc on innocent humans. You guys will have to keep them at bay."

"Us? What about you?" Kitty asked.

"I'll be looking for Grandpa."

"Not..." Kitty started, but the jet shook from a hasty landing.

"Sorry about that," Northstar said as he stood from the pilot's seat and opened the door. "Let's go."

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Magneto walked through the crowded streets next to Mastermind. Due to all the confusion, no one looked at them twice as they entered a large television network's base of operations.

Inside, the hyperventilating woman at the desk didn't question them thanks to Mastermind's mutant ability, and they were able to access the room they had traveled so far for. The news was being filmed, but that was quickly put to an end as the cast and crew found themselves securely pinned against the wall by metal bars. Magneto then used his power over magnetism to direct the cameras toward him and broadcast himself to every house in America.

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It was only a matter of minutes until the Magneto's army and the Rebels broke out into a full-on war, and Times Square was the battleground. Naturally, the Rebels had the hardest job; they not only had to fight off their fellow mutants but try to save helpless humans as well.

One rebel managed to acquire a bus, and, as Kitty helped to load a bunch of humans on it to be driven to safety, televisions everywhere turned on. Magneto's image seemed to be everywhere. Kitty pushed the last person onto the bus and it sped off.

"What's going on?" she yelled to Northstar, but he could only shrug. Then she caught Charlie out of the corner of her eye. She was running into a news building. Kitty immediately realized what Charlie was up to, and decided to follow.

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"Humans," Magneto's voice boomed. "The time has come for the rise of the Mutant Empire. The future is here, but you still have a chance to decide your role in the new world order. Will you comply to my demands and live beside us as... 'equals,' or will you resist and lead your race to its extinction?"

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

Kitty raced to catch up with Charlie. She made turn after turn; ran through corridor after corridor. Finally, she reached a door. She took a deep breath to brace herself for the worst, opened the door, and was immediately knocked unconscious by an unidentified flying object.

"Erika!" Charlie yelled inside the room.

"She can't be here, and you know it," the platinum-haired sister responded. Charlie was silent. "Look," Erika said, "We need to talk."

"I know. I came, per your request. Talk."

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

"Now is the time; Choose your destiny! Tomorrow I will meet with the United Nations to discuss the future state of the world. I hope the meeting to be a peaceful one, or the scene in Times Square will be just a fraction of the terror I can unleash upon this world."

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

Wanda watched Kitty run off the battleground in pursuit of her daughter, and quickly followed. She knew the former X-Man was trying to stop Magneto's broadcast, and saw this as an opportunity to get on her father's good side.

She made sure that she wasn't spotted, and after she saw her sister-in-law fall to the floor, she crept up to the door and peeked through the open crack. Charlie and Erika were arguing, but Wanda wasn't sure what it was about. She decided not to intervene though, certain that Erika knew what she was doing, but her curiosity kept her glued to the scene. However, she could no longer stand idly after she became witness to a murder.

"Erika!!" she screamed while Charlie lay motionless on the ground, a sharp piece of shrapnel protruding from her chest. "What... what have you done?!"

"Me?" Erika asked calmly. "Who do you think they'll blame?"

Wanda didn't know what to do. She could only stare in horror as Erika exited the room through a back door, and Pietro entered.


	13. Chapter 13

New World Order

By: XMENobsession

**AN: **Once again this chapter took forever and I apologize. I know you are all so excited to see the outcome of the previous chapter's murder, and I hope I do not disappoint you. Here it is. Enjoy and remember to _**REVIEW!!**_ (pwease?)

**DISCLAIMER: **I own nothing! Not the people, not the places, and definitely not the paper!

Chapter 13

Pietro could do no more than stare in horror at first. Wanda knew what it looked like; what Erika had made it look like. "Pietro..." she attempted, but her brother quickly interrupted her.

"You... you did this?"

"No! Pietro, I would never..."

"Yes, you would. You've always been jealous of me. And what perfect revenge!" Pietro kneeled next to his daughter and held her limp body in his arms. "Just go," he commanded while holding back warm tears.

Wanda hesitated, but when she did turn to leave she found herself face to face with the Master of Magnetism. Magneto stared down at his daughter with a look so stern that Wanda felt it pierce her heart as the shrapnel had done to Charlie's. There was nothing she could do. He would never believe her; no one would. Erika, Magneto's pride and joy, had murdered her own twin. Wanda could barely believe it herself.

"Wanda," Magneto said in a chilling voice. "Come." He turned and left the room through the same door Erika had used. They walked silently down to the lobby and out the front door. On the streets the rebels fought Magneto's army relentlessly. When they saw him appear without an extravagant entrance they knew something was up and immediately began pummeling him with superpowers of all sorts. Magneto managed to block them all with one, effortless force field. He had no time to bother with such lowly beings; there were much more important things to deal with. He used his powers to summon his aircraft, which he had left in wait among the clouds. It landed without even a thump, and the door lowered slowly. Wanda silently entered, head hung low in shame she didn't deserve. Magneto followed after commanding his forces to pull back.

Lance Alvers watched as the scene shifted from full-on war to scattered rebels staring at one another with confused expressions. They managed to compose themselves and began an attempt to clean up the once bustling Times Square. Lance's first priority, however, was Kitty. "Psylocke!" He yelled when he found the purple-haired mutant using her psi-sword to cut a human family out of an upside-down car. She finished her work and watched the family wander off in a daze before she looked tiredly at Lance. "Yes?"

"Kitty..." he stumbled."I can't find her."

Psylocke stood and pointed at the news building. "She followed Charlie in there a while ago."

"And you didn't stop her?" Lance asked in shock.

"Sorry, but I was a little busy!" the British mutant responded, her temper growing steadily. "You'd do well to try to help us instead of worrying about her."

"I'm sorry." Lance paused a moment to calm himself down. "Did you see anything else?"

Psylocke put her hand on her hip impatiently. "The Scarlet Witch went in as well. Look," she added hastily, stopping Lance from running into the building, "We need you here."

Lance took in the sight of weakened mutants attempting to help scared and distrusting humans while cleaning up the massive mess made by an attacking army. He knew it was his duty to aid them, but his gaze drifted to the news building. "She could be trouble," he mumbled, and ran off before Psylocke could dispute, knowing that she wouldn't accept 'could be' as a plausible excuse for abandoning them. She did, however, manage to yell after him, "You need to stop living in the past, Lance!"

Lance tried not to listen. 'Telepaths always think they know everything,' he said to himself, 'I'm not living in the past.' He silently lied as he climbed the stairs and opened the door leading to the small hallway in front of the main news room. The doors of the room were closed and in front of them lay the small frame of Kitty Pryde- Maximoff. Lance kneeled next to her and turned her body onto its back. Her blue eyes flickered a few times before completely opening. For a fleeting moment her soft lips turned up into a smile and Lance's heart lifted, but the joy on Kitty's face faded once she fully awakened and recalled her situation.

"Be careful!" Lance warned as Kitty sat up and held her throbbing head. "What happened here?"

"I followed Charlie. I knew she'd try to take Magneto on by herself. I couldn't let her. I opened the door... and blacked out."

"Magneto left a couple minutes ago. I hope Charlie's okay."

Kitty pulled her knees to her chest and wrapped her arms around them. Lance saw this grasp at comfort and put an arm over her shoulders and squeezed. "There's something else," Kitty added. "Before I blacked out, I saw... at least, I thought... I could have sworn... Erika was there." Kitty's head turned to the foreboding doors and feared what was behind it if the nauseous feeling in her stomach was correct.

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

Pietro remained in the room after Magneto left. He simply sat and stared at his daughter; it was the longest he had ever stayed still. He made certain that his eyes remained on her face; the rest of her body being far too bloody for his stomach to handle. Though her eyes were opened, her face still held a sense of peacefulness. It comforted Pietro in a way, making her death seem more pacified, though nothing could completely wash away the cold fact of a vicious murder.

His thoughts were quiet; words being impossible to form, even mentally. Through the silence Pietro heard murmuring. He crawled to the large doors and pressed his ear against them to listen.

"Erika?" a man's voice spoke. It was familiar to Pietro, though he couldn't seem to place it. "What was she doing here?"

"I don't know." Pietro's heart jumped at the sound of his wife's voice and it took all of his self-control not to push open the door and kiss her greatly missed lips. Pietro heard moving as the two mutants stood and faced the doors. "There's only one way to find out," Kitty added. There was a long pause then. Pietro's mind raced faster than his legs could. He remembered who the other voice belonged to, his old friend and Kitty's old boyfriend. That was when the pause began to frighten him. If Kitty thought he'd died as everyone else had assumed, she'd be a lonely widow, free to do whatever with whomever she wanted. Pietro's hands clenched in fists as he silently cursed them both. He left the door, not wanting to be around when the lovers arrived and saw Charlie's body lying on the floor. He considered taking it with him, but decided against it. Though Kitty was not in his best favor at the moment, she was Charlie's mother and deserved to know what had happened here. Pietro heard the doors opening and ran out the small exit Magneto and Erika had used.

What Pietro did not know was that all that had occurred behind the doors was silent staring and mental preparation. Lance wanted to kiss Kitty, to hug her, to touch her in any way, but her body was clenched tightly in defense. She wanted to be alone, but Lance couldn't bring himself to leave. He claimed in his mind that he stayed for Kitty, she needed him, but in the back of his mind he knew that he was the lonely one.

After a while she took a deep breath and opened the doors. The room was dark but she had no trouble finding the being that had taken up the majority of her thoughts for the past two years. She ran to Charlie and began to cry over her. She caressed her daughter's pale face; it was still warm, and the tears increased.

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Pietro had no destination and eventually found himself in Bayville Park. He sat on a nearly broken bench and stared at the warehouse. He and Kitty had shared their first kiss there, they'd danced there, and quite possibly they'd fallen in love there. Pietro longed for those simple days. No global threats, no attacking armies, no children, and no intense feelings of loss growing inside him until he feels he could burst.

His phone rang an annoyingly high-pitched tune that made you want to answer it quickly so your ears can stop bleeding. "Hello?"

"Pietro," Pyro said importantly. "Where are you?"

"I'm just bumming around Bayville. Did you guys leave yet?"

"We were about to when the Boss Man noticed you were MIA. Where are you, we'll come pick you up. We've got to get out of here quick. Mags has some 'urgent business' he needs to attend to."

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

The Rebels had done all they could for Times Square and loaded into the jet. When they arrived at the Brotherhood house Charlie was immediately cleaned and redressed. They laid her on a bed and Kitty sat next to her. Psylocke leaned against the wall, not wanting to interfere but not wanting to leave Kitty.

"She looks peaceful," Kitty said softly.

Psylocke took this as her cue. She stood behind her friend and rested a hand on her shoulder. "Yes," she replied, "she does."

"Betsy, do you think it hurt?"

"I wouldn't know."

Kitty sighed. Lance entered the room and announced, "We're having a meeting in the dining room, ladies. Attendance is mandatory."

Psylocke walked to the door, and, before leaving, gave Lance a look that told him to follow her out of the room. He gave Kitty, who had not moved an inch, a last look and then followed his new teammate.

"You pine," Betsy said once the door had been closed.

"And you oak."

"This is no time for jokes. Her husband and child have both died!"

"Exactly," Lance argued. "She needs comfort."

"But not the kind of comfort you wish to give. Leave her alone!" Betsy turned and walked down the stairs. Lance stood silent, letting her words soak in.

"Lance," Kitty said. He had not even heard her open the door and step into the hallway.

"Kitty! How long have you...?"

Kitty stood on her tip-toes and gave Lance a light peck on the cheek. "You're a good friend, Lance; you always have been, but I don't think this friendship can last."

"What're you talking about? Of course it can!"

"No, Lance. Betsy is right. Maybe... in time..."

"Kitty! I'm not..." Kitty looked up at him, her blue eyes sparkling from tears, and Lance could no longer lie to himself. "I'm in love with you."

Kitty nodded slowly. "I know."

Lance's heart sank when he realized the situation. "And you're in love with Pietro." Once again, Kitty nodded. "I'm sorry, Kitty. I never meant to..."

"Don't apologize. It's not something you can plan; trust me, I know. We just need some time. Maybe, after the war... Oh, I don't know."

Now it was Lance's turn to nod knowingly. "I guess we should get going then." Kitty walked down the stairs and turned into the dining room. Lance waited until she was out of sight before he left the hallway as well.

In the dining room the rebels crowded around the table, some sitting on mix-matched chairs, others standing, all weary of this war they were thrown into. Gambit sat at the head of the table, assuming the role of leader as he had done at the rebellion meetings on Genosha. "We need to re-strategize," he said as Lance entered the room and stood behind Colossus. "What are our goals after the failed mission?"

"Failed?" Psylocke asked in shock.

"Would you call it a success?" Gambit replied.

"Of course not, but was hardly a failure."

"We lost an essential member of the rebellion!" Gambit practically shouted. Kitty winced at the loudness and bit her lip to hold back the tears she could feel coming. Gambit took note of this and calmed himself down.

"And Magneto lost a granddaughter," Psylocke argued. "I think Charlie's death is hitting both sides equally hard."

"Then you don't believe it was planned?" Colossus chimed in.

"What're you talking about?" Psylocke asked.

"Well, as Gambit said, Charlie was essential to us. Taking out a key enemy is classic Magneto."

"But the twins were his life!" Psylocke waved her hands about in emphasis. "Why would he kill his own kin?"

Northstar stroked his chin in thought and added, "I think Piotr has a point. Charlie's murder was clearly premeditated and she was stabbed with a piece of metal shrapnel."

"You know," Lance began, "There are rumors among Magneto's army that Wanda is the culprit."

Gambit nodded as he considered this. "That actually makes sense. Everyone knows Wanda is jealous of the attention Pietro's always gotten from Magneto, and Charlie was a traitor to Magneto's new world order, yet he still showed her more affection than Wanda."

"Wanda's always been contentious," Colossus said, "but I would never have expected this out of her."

"I don't think she did it," Psylocke said stubbornly.

"Then you think Magneto did," Gambit asked.

"No."

"Then who? Charlie didn't murder herself!"

Psylocke realized she was trapped. She knew what her gut told her, but gut feelings are hard to explain and not very convincing. She turned to her last hope. "Kitty?"

Kitty opened her mouth to speak, but closed it once again. She stared at her folded hands fidgeted in her seat. Finally, she looked around the table at the group and spoke. "Magneto didn't do this. He's a heartless monster, but he would never have hurt a single hair on that girl's head. And Wanda, though just as heartless as her father and less attached to Charlie, simply couldn't have done it. I've known Wanda for some time, and I know what she is and isn't capable of doing. Besides, she's constantly trying to get into Magneto's favor, and she's smart enough to know that this is not the way to do that." She sighed and concluded, "Neither of them did it."

"Do you have any idea who did it then?" Gambit asked calmly, afraid of upsetting Kitty once again.

She hesitated before answering, "No."

The group was left to its own speculations and began murmuring amongst itself. Lance watched at Kitty who continued to stare at her hands. He was thinking the same thing she was, and he understood why she couldn't tell anyone her suspicions. She had lost one daughter already. She didn't have it in her to condemn another.


	14. Chapter 14

New World Order

New World Order

By: XMENobsession

**AN: **One of the quickest updates in a long time! If you haven't noticed, I changed the title. I'm pretty happy with it, but always accepting suggestions. Enjoy the chapter and please review.

**DISCLAIMER: **I own nothing! Not the people, not the places, and definitely not the paper.

Chapter 14

"The X-Men are gone; Times Square is in ruin..." Magneto spoke calmly to the most important men in the world. "Do you truly wish for more destruction?" The UN, though proud and powerful, was uncomfortable in the presence of the Master of Magnetism and allowed him to continue on. "I am no monster, I assure you. I am willing to discard invasion of any kind, but first you must be open to submission."

"And an ultimatum such as zhis is not monstrous?" the representative from France argued.

"I agree," China stated. "Either we fight you and our bodies die or try to live under you as our spirits die. Is there no winning with you?"

Magneto smiled devilishly. "It would appear not."

"Surely," Great Britain's representation said, "you will give us time to consider?"

"Of course," Magneto replied agreeably. "I shall return to you tomorrow. I look forward to it." He smiled again and walked out of the room, his cape flowing behind him grandly.

Once he had left, the room burst into chaos. "This is an outrage!" Russia said, banging a strong fist onto the table. "Mother Russia will never succumb to the likes of him!"

"Neither vill Germany!"

Many more countries chimed in with their defiance toward Magneto, but they were quickly quieted. "We must be rational," Italy yelled to quiet the noise. "I know the might of my army, and I have seen the power of Magneto. I am not about to let my country die because of my pride."

"If China is to die we will die with honor!"

The conference continued like that for some time. Some countries chose to give in to Magneto's demands, fearing his wrath, while others decided to band together and fight him, under the illusion that his bark was worse than his bite. The American of the room sat quietly. If any country knew what Magneto was capable of it was the ol' U. S. of A. However, the American people would not accept submission. They had to fight, though they could feel their extinction upon them.

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

Pietro couldn't get Kitty out of his mind. How could she have done this to him? After two happy years of marriage, she went and... He didn't even want to begin to think what she could have done. He kept remembering how happy he had been when he first heard her voice, how much he had missed her. Now he just felt like an idiot.

He had been walking aimlessly through City Hall while he thought, and finally ended up in the conference room of the Mutant Council. No meeting had been held since the beginning of the war, and the council had practically disbanded since most of it consisted of rebels. Pietro sat in his usual seat. Kitty's had been to his right. Ever since their wedding day she had always been on his right. Always. But now... Pietro's eyes moved to the empty seat, and an image appeared clearly in his mind.

She was late, as usual. Magneto was in the middle of one of his meaningless speeches about new holidays. This one he had inventively titled, 'Charlie Learned to Walk Day.' But Pietro had been preoccupied with worry for his wife. This was the third time that month she had been late, and he didn't want her to have to suffer the wrath of Magneto. Finally, she phased up through the floor and directly into her seat. Pietro sighed in relief and smiled at his lovely wife. Kitty smiled back.

He was jarred out of his memories by the sound of Magneto and his entourage passing the frosted glass doors. Magneto's steps were thudding and formidable, the steps of the men following closely but not too closely behind were quick and light, and slow, shuffling strides took the rear of the group. Pietro watched the hunched figure of Mastermind pass the door, and a strong chill traveled down his spine, though he was unsure why. Lacking anything better to do, Pietro chose to follow the group.

They traveled down corridor after corridor, eventually stopping in front of Magneto's office. Pietro hid behind a large statue of Magneto and watched the proceedings. Magneto said something to the men and they ran off in multiple directions. Pietro scrunched closer to the wall as two of the men walked right by, thankfully not noticing him. Only Magneto and Mastermind were left. They whispered to each other something that Pietro couldn't make out, and then Mastermind entered the office. Magneto leaned in towards the door and listened for a moment, then walked off briskly.

After Magneto was out of sight Pietro cautiously crawled to the door and pressed an ear firmly against it. He could hear Mastermind's voice. "Some people just never learn. Do you remember our last encounter? No, I suppose you don't, at least not if I did my job correctly. But you've gotten Magneto to believe that I haven't. Tsk, tsk. Well, you _will_ learn this time. I'll make sure of that."

"You're a sick man." Pietro's eyebrows rose at Wanda's voice. He quickly pieced together the meanings of Masterminds words. The "last encounter" was years ago, when Wanda had despised her father and wanted him dead. To solve this problem, Magneto had hired Mastermind to erase Wanda's bad memories and replace them with Magneto-approved ones. Mastermind had been a respected member of Magneto's new world order ever since, and apparently he had been called upon once again to 'fix' the master of magnetism's unruly daughter.

Pietro stopped listening and thought on this new information. Wanda had killed his daughter, and he wanted nothing more than justice, but this didn't seem right. Something in Mastermind's malicious voice or the tears Pietro could tell had begun flowing from Wanda's normally cold eyes made Pietro begin rethink this form of punishment.

He heard Wanda pleading with the mutant, and it stirred something in his mind. Pietro had never known Wanda to beg, or even ask, for anything, yet it seemed familiar. It gave Pietro the same confused feeling that Mastermind did every time he was near.

There was a loud crash and a thud. Wanda had tried to hex the man, but he had somehow dodged and pushed her onto Magneto's desk. He concentrated on flowing all of his mutant power into Wanda's brown eyes. Pietro could hear her still struggling, but she was beginning to fall under Mastermind's spell. To emphasize his power, the hypnotizing mutant began to talk to Wanda. His voice was calm, but hardly soothing. It held a hidden undertone of pleasure. "Magneto is your father," he said. "He loves you very much. Don't you love him?"

"Nn..." Wanda tried to reply, but Mastermind concentrated harder.

"He treats you with respect. Don't you think you should do the same for him?"

Once again, Wanda struggled to give a true answer, but it only made Mastermind work harder. He attacked every thought he could find, constricting and suffocating it. Outside the office Pietro strained to rise to his feet. 'She deserves this,' he repeated to himself over and over again. 'She's a murderer.'

Wanda whimpered softly, breaking Pietro's heart even more. He rested his head against the wall, wanting to leave that spot, to not have to listen to this anymore, but he couldn't bring himself to do it. Mastermind continued to speak, "Magneto's dominance over the world will continue to rise, and you will be right there by his side. You will help him become ruler of the world, and all will be as it should be." He paused, considered these words, and seemed very happy with them and the calming effect they seemed to have on Wanda. "Yes, all is as it should be," he repeated. "All is as it should be."

Pietro was leaning desperately against the wall and trying to block out what was going on. However, at these words his blue eyes shot open. They brought an image to his mind. It was vague and blurry, but clearing at every repetition of the phrase.

Wanda's face... but something was different about it. Her hair was significantly longer, and her eyes... their normal deep brown color was off. They seemed lighter and... distant. When the image was completely clear Pietro heard another voice over Mastermind's. "You have to promise me that you'll save me."

Suddenly, Wanda's puzzling words made sense. For the first time since his own encounter with Mastermind, Pietro remembered his short sojourn to the future; his father's decaying appearance, his sister's desperate plea, his wife... his wife... but there was no time to think on that now. Wanda needed him, and he'd made a promise to her.

Pietro turned the door knob, but it was locked. Mastermind must have heard him because he suddenly grew silent, but his short release on Wanda's mind gave her the opportunity she needed. The knob shattered and fell to the floor as the door swung open slowly. Pietro raced in and knocked out Mastermind before he could even assess the situation.

Wanda rose gradually, almost deliriously. Pietro was by her side in a millisecond and helped her regain her balance. The moments felt like hours to him as he silently prayed he was not too late. Wanda looked about the room and finally at her brother. Pietro frowned at the blank look on her face at first, but his spirits were greatly lifted as her mouth slowly formed into a slight smile and she mouthed the words, "Thank you." Pietro pulled his sister close to him and hugged her for the first time in far too many years.

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Later that day, Erika sat in her grandfather's office, eating dinner as he argued with someone over the phone.

"I don't care how hard you're working; work harder! A colleague of mine was found unconscious in my office, and now my two children are missing. I want you to find them!" He slammed the phone down and took a minute to calm himself before addressing Erika. "How could all this have happened?"

"Great leaders must make great sacrifices," she replied without even looking up from her plate.

"I thought I was prepared for everything possible, but now I know differently."

"No man can prepare for everything."

"So much has happened..."

Erika put down her fork and gazed at the aging man across the room. "Charlie's death was... unfortunate, and Dad and Aunt Wanda's disappearances is... discouraging, but we must remain vigilant. Tomorrow the UN will surely give in to your demands, and if they do not we'll show them just who they're defying. You still have more power on this island than any military in the world. Yes, you've lost some people, but the most important thing to remember is... you still have me."

Magneto looked up from his desk. Erika's icy blue eyes shimmered in the light and her platinum hair cascaded over her shoulders and down her back. She looked so much like him, she was named after him, and she thought like him. Magneto smiled realizing that he needed no other.

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"We have no X-Men, Magneto's army is triple the size of ours, and we have no clue where he's going to strike next. What do we do?" Lance addressed the rebels professionally in the Brotherhood Boarding House.

Kitty sat up straighter and added, "Some of the UN has given in to Magneto, but most of it is stubborn in its defiance, including the U.S."

"Which will surely be Magneto's first target," Colossus said. "But where exactly?"

"Isn't it obvious?" Lance asked excitedly. "He aims to take over the country. Where's the first place you would attack?"

The rebels all nodded in understanding, but only one spoke the obvious words, "The White House."


	15. Chapter 15

New World Order

By: XMENobsession

**AN: **Sorry for the wait, but it's better late than never, right? Jeez, it's been so long I practically forgot how to post a story… So sad. Please enjoy and don't forget to _**REVIEW!!! **_That is, if you don't hate me too much.

**DISCLAIMER: **I own nothing! Not people, not the places, and definitely not the paper!

Chapter 15

The receptionist kept giving Kitty dirty looks; she considered shooting a few back, but, no, she wasn't there for that. She glanced to her left at Lace, who sent her a reassuring smile. It didn't help. Then she looked to Remy on her right who didn't even seem to notice she sat there with him. Kitty couldn't stop fidgeting. How could everyone else be so calm? After what felt like hours of waiting, a large man in a dark suit entered the room and beckoned the trio to follow him.

The president looked up from his desk as they nervously entered the office. He put down his pen and gestured for them to sit. "This is the first time such a... motley group has ever entered this office, and I'm sure it will be the last." He scanned the three mutants in front of him: a former Acolyte, the former field leader of the Brotherhood, and the sole surviving X-Man. "I believe I've had death warrants on some of your heads." He glanced quickly toward Remy.

The Cajun leaned back in his chair nonchalantly and responded, "T'ings change."

"That they do..." the president stated, staring at Remy as if he was seeing him for the first time."But there are more important matters at hand than our past. This meeting is about the future, which is looking pretty bleak at the moment. Now, I understand you have information on Magneto?"

Kitty spoke up, "Mr. President, we've been fighting the same war with this man separately. I believe that if we join forces we have a hope of defeating him."

"Hope is far from a guarantee, Miss."

"True," Kitty agreed, "but it can save lives."

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"I don't believe you," Pietro said as they walked the streets of New York City, much like on the morning of Magneto's broadcast. "You're lying."

"I'm not the one lying here," Wanda reproached.

Pietro looked down at the passing sidewalk cracks. "I don't want to believe you."

"I'm glad you do. I know it's difficult, and I know I'm normally the last person to suggest 'doing the right thing' but..."

"We need to find her." Pietro looked up at Wanda. "We need to find Erika. She may be my daughter, but so was Charlie."

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"Gambit, Avalanche, and Shadowcat have just left the White House, sir."

"Thank you," Magneto said and dismissed his young informant.

"That was fast," commented Erika, who had been spending most of her time in her grandfather's office lately. "Do you think it went well?"

"I think they think it went well, but no matter how many alliances they form the true victors shall be Homo Superior."

"But the United States Army has always been a force to be reckoned with, and what if other countries join them? Do you believe you can defeat the combined militias of the world?"

"Do you doubt me, Erika?" Magneto turned to his granddaughter.

"Never!" Erika defended. "But rashness will get us nowhere. It is the gift of Homo Superior to not only fight harder than any other species, but to strategize more cleverly as well. We are not simply brute force, but great minds at work. Don't you think? Should we not plan each step to the best of our abilities before we take it? This war is too important to throw away with hasty decisions."

Magneto pushed away from his desk and let out a sigh. "You're right," he said, "but I have thought this through. The U.S. government believes that I am their problem and theirs alone. They won't go asking for help, and they'll deny they need it when it is offered. It is their pride that will be their end."

"So you're not worried at all?"

"They'll put up a fight, but at this point we hold all the cards."

Erika walked over to the window and gazed down on Genosha. Its population was still strong, even after the rebels' escape, and the people's spirits had never been higher. They were excited for the upcoming 'expedition.' It amazed Erika how secluded the island was from the rest of the world. The celebrate war, though defeat in it would end their way of life, if not their actual lives. There was a strange sense of confidence that hung about Genosha. Two children ran into the courtyard, chasing a large green ball. Erika felt a pang of pity.

"Erika," Magneto spoke sharply, shaking her out of her thoughts. "We don't have time to waste on daydreaming. I need you to go downstairs and meet Mystique. She has some important information on the Washington Excursion."

Erika nodded silently and left the room.

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Pietro leaned his head back and looked out the cab window. The small town rolled by and he tried not to remember, but she was all he could think of.

"Are you sure about this?" Wanda asked from beside in the taxi. "There's still time to turn around and head back to the city."

"And do what? No, this is the only way, as much as I hate it."

The car pulled up the driveway and the siblings got out. They gazed at the house before them.

"I never thought I'd be back here," Wanda said.

The Brotherhood Boarding House stood before them, its current use being housing the rebellion.

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Erika opened the window of the conference room and leaned on the white pane. The children were still playing. She could hear them laughing now. Thankfully, her attention was taken away from them by a large black bird flying uncomfortably close. It raced through the window and past the young girl. Erika turned around to find Mystique sitting at the table. "Hello, Raven," she said as she closed the window.

"That's Ms. Darkholme to you," the older woman responded.

"Of course." Erika sat at the table as well.

Mystique reached into her pocket and placed three envelopes on the table. "These are for Magneto and him alone. Understand?"

Erika nodded and grasped them tightly. There was nothing written on the outsides. "You used to lead the Brotherhood, right?" she asked casually.

Mystique looked questioningly at her. "Why?"

"Oh, no reason. I was just wondering how you go from practically second in command to carrier pigeon."

Mystique was overcome with unknown emotions. "What... Who do you think you are?"

Erika gathered the envelopes and stood. "It's not important who I am. Who are you? Because I never saw you as the type to just take this kind of treatment. You're too talented for lackey work. You should make sure he knows that." Erika left Mystique alone in the conference room to think.


	16. Chapter 16

New World Order

By: XMENobsession

**AN: **Chapter 16, long overdue. I just lost interest in it and I was so sure everyone else had, so I moved on to writing another story (Control; you should totally read it… ;-P Shameful advertising), but then I received a review that made me realize that this story needs to get finished! Thank you, C4n4di4n-G1r1535!

**DISCLAIMER: **I own nothing! Not the people, not the places, and definitely not the paper!

Chapter 16

Kitty took her mug of coffee and sat at the Brotherhood's kitchen table. She blew gently on the steaming brew and reached for a section of the newspaper lying in front of her. Psylocke, who also sat there, intently reading the most recent bad news of the world, gazed at Kitty. Kitty felt her friend's stare and returned it questioningly. "Yes?" she finally said.

"Aren't you supposed to be at the White House; protecting and whatnot?"

"What am I supposed to do, live there?" Kitty replied. "We don't know when Magneto will attack or even how. The best thing we can all do is conserve our energy."

Psylocke shrugged and returned to her paper when a loud ringing startled her.

"Relax," Kitty laughed as she stood and began to leave the room. "It's just the doorbell." The foyer windows let in rays of light that illuminated the ripped wallpaper and the stained, discolored carpet. The Brotherhood's Boarding House was certainly no Genoshan Palace or Xavier Institute of Higher Learning, but it served its purpose well, and beggars can't be choosers.

Kitty expected to find a magazine salesman or something of the like, but what she saw almost made her pee her pants. "Pietro!"

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"Magneto's planning something big," Erika said, as she paced the room restlessly. "This will be the final battle as far as the rebellion goes. I remember hearing about it growing up. Most of them will die and the few survivors will be found and executed soon after." She stopped and closed her eyes, searching for more details. "So much is different now, though. So much has been changed since Charlie…" Her voice trailed off and the faintest look of regret crossed her face, but it was soon stolid once more. "He's moving fast; so must we."

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Pietro remembered seeing her with Lance, how quickly she'd forgotten him. He was angry and didn't want to speak to her ever again, but once she opened that door he melted. She was beautiful, and he struggled to keep a proper distance between them.

"Pietro!" she said and began to reach out to him, stopping as if afraid that he would disappear at her touch. She was smiling, yet he could see tears forming in her eyes. Maybe she hadn't forgotten him…

The two stared at each other for some time before Wanda grew impatient. "We're here to talk with the rebellion."

This was the first time Kitty noticed Wanda and once she did her expression changed to suspicion. "Are you with Magneto?"

"Not anymore," Wanda replied.

"Are you looking for an alliance?" Kitty began to get hopeful.

"We're here to talk," Wanda insisted, and Kitty moved aside to allow them in.

She led them to the dining room, where the rebellion held most of their meetings, and called the household together. As each person entered their faces were pretty much the same: shock, fear, and anger. The twins sat together at the head of the table under the weight of all those eyes.

"What are they doing here?" Psylocke asked as she took a seat, the first to say anything.

"Wanda and P…Pietro have come to talk with us," Kitty answered, stuttering at her husband's name. She was still surprised by his sudden resurrection.

Lance was the last to enter the room. He stared at his former friend. Though the two had not seen each other since Pietro left for Genosha two years ago, Lance felt that there was a new rift between them, deeper than ever before. But that was impossible! There was no way Pietro could know about what happened between him and Kitty on the steps… Right? Pietro's harsh stare said differently.

"Well," Remy said. "What do you want?"

Wanda paused to think before answering. "We want to help you," she said slowly, almost painfully.

"Why?" Psylocke asked.

"Well…" Wanda replied slowly. "We just realized that Magneto's plans aren't very…"

"Is no one else wondering how Pietro is still alive?" Lance jumped up from his seat and screamed. "I mean, he's supposed to be dead, right?"

"Why do you care so much whether I'm dead or not?" Pietro reproached the first words he had said since he arrived. "Just waiting for the perfect time to move in on my wife?"

All eyes landed on Kitty and her face flushed bright red.

"Maybe we should do this another time," Piotr said, leaving the room and gesturing for others to do the same. The room soon contained only Kitty, Lance, Pietro, and Wanda.

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"The time is nigh," Magneto spoke loudly to the neatly ordered mutant army standing before him. The brave Genoshans listened intently to their 'King.' "We attack tonight, under the cloak of darkness. This will be a date we shall all remember: the day mutants took their rightful place in the world. Tonight we will not only take the White House, or America, but the world!"

The army cheered loudly, as did their watching families from the sidelines. Magneto beamed. Erika watched the scene from behind him and released a small grin.

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"What is wrong with the two of you?" Wanda yelled. "We're in the middle of a war here! We don't have time for your petty squabbles!"

"It's not petty!" Pietro argued. "This douche bag stole my wife!"

"He didn't steal me!" Kitty yelled back. "There is nothing between Lance and me! We're friends!"

"Maybe friends with benefits… I saw you together that day… at the news station."

Kitty was amazed. "You mean you were there? Why didn't you tell me?"

"You were with him." Pietro glared at Lance, who only glared back.

Kitty looked at her husband, hurt. She wanted to say something, but only shook her head and went to sit down. Everyone was silent for a while, until Kitty spoke quietly, "I thought you had died. What happened?"

"You wouldn't believe me," Pietro answered with a dismissing wave of his hand.

"Try me." Kitty's stare was piercing; anyone would have felt compelled to answer.

"I went to the future, and, yes it sounds crazy, but it's true! Magneto ruled the world and Wanda was…" His sister looked at him questioningly and Pietro chose not to tell about the horrible fate that came so close to being hers. "She helped me power the time machine to come back, but… I got caught up in Magneto's plans and… I can't even explain it."

"Our father has tools of persuasion you may never understand," Wanda said darkly.

"The important thing is I'm alive."

"What about the twins?" Kitty was almost too afraid to ask.

Pietro stared at the floor. "I left them in the future. I knew they'd be safe there. It wasn't a very good world for most people, but the granddaughters of Magneto should be just fine. Besides, I didn't know what would happen here."

Kitty bit her lip in an attempt to fight back the tears. Lance and Pietro each wanted to comfort her, but neither could ignore the existence of the other. After a moment, Kitty had succeeded enough to speak. "I assume you know about Charlie?"

Pietro nodded gravely. "Probably a lot more than you know."

"What do you mean by that?" Kitty asked. "I saw her, lying on the floor. We buried her…" Another wave of tears threatened to break loose.

Pietro didn't mean to make her cry, but he figured as long as she was this was a good time to break the news. "Erika murdered Charlie."

Pietro expected astonishment, disbelief, but the only reply he got from Kitty was a quiet, "I know."

"You know? How?"

"A mother knows her murderous child."

An awkward silence filled the room, yet again. Lance hastily broke it. "At least we're all clear on one thing: Magneto and Erika both need to be stopped." The others nodded. "We're pretty sure his next move is going to be the White House, but we don't know when."

Wanda smiled devilishly. "Than what are we doing here?"


	17. Chapter 17

New World Order

By: XMENobsession

**AN: **Long overdue, I know, but we are finally at the end. DUN DUN DUN. No, this is not the last chapter; there will be one more to wrap it all up. If anyone is confused, please hold all questions until the next chapter is released. I am going to try to answer them then because I know it can get confusing. So, for the time being, just bear with me. Thank you.

**DISCLAIMER: **I own nothing! Not the people, not the story, and definitely not the paper!

Chapter 17

The sun was setting. Magneto watched it as his heart raced. He was usually very calm before an expedition, but this one was different. Everything was on the line and he couldn't afford to lose, neither could his people.

They had come to him from places of turmoil and hostility. He had promised them safety and salvation. Life on Genosha was simple but for the past two years Magneto had been working them, subtly twisting their minds to fit his own agenda. A war on humans was coming, but was not to be feared, no human was. They would fight, they would win, and they would conquer the world!

Now the people were ready. They wore a standard red uniform and waited patiently for their leader's orders to attack. Magneto almost pitied them, as he knew so many of their deaths would be inevitable. But sacrifices must be made, every great leader knew that.

Pyro stood next to him, restlessly toying with his tanks of lighter fluid. Magneto searched, but found that that John was the only one with him that day that he had any real connection to. Mystique and Erika had disappeared. It didn't bode well for him, but he decided that it was too late to call off the attack. They would arrive soon.

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The rebels wore no uniforms, only mismatched outfits put together out of necessity. Some wore their Genoshan clothes, but most chose to forgo them, instead wearing anything that would cover and that didn't represent Magneto. They were not neatly lined up, but naturally drifted into groups. They spoke to each other excitedly yet quietly in order to hear their commands when they were given.

Their 'leaders' stood on a grassy knoll in front of the iconic White House, looking down at what could barely be called an army. Their numbers were lacking and most of their skill levels were far lower than that of the loyal Genoshans. Magneto had known who would follow him, and had trained accordingly. The rebellion had not had such forethought.

"I wish Charlie was here," Kitty said softly to Pietro who stood by her side. "She was young and inexperienced, but she would have been a comfort right now."

"Even when she was a baby, she had a sort of calming demeanor. A feisty personality, but a calming demeanor," Pietro reminisced. "I don't even know how she did it."

"We're terrible parents. After only two years with our children one gets murdered and one becomes a murderer. I think that's a new record."

Pietro put his arm around Kitty's shoulder. It was the first warm act he had done toward her since he and Wanda arrived at the Brotherhood House less than 24 hours ago.

"We should have never left New York," Kitty added and rested her head against her husband.

Lance watched this from a safe distance. It still hurt to see them together. He figured it would always hurt. If they were still in love after all that had happened, then they'd never stop. He was sad for himself, but couldn't help being somewhat happy for them.

"Look!" someone yelled, and on the horizon was a mass of red quickly approaching.

"They come!" Piotr yelled. "Hurry, into formation!"

The mutants scrambled and took their defensive stances. Kitty and Pietro shared one last embrace. "I'm sorry," Kitty whispered into his ear. He squeezed her harder and replied, "I love you."

The clash was unprecedented. Aerial powers shot through the sky, sometimes landing on the White House, which had, thankfully, been evacuated. The ground shook, the sky lit up, and bodies fell on both sides. Then another mass of mutants, all dressed in red began to pour onto the field.

Kitty phased a wounded friend out of the battle and left him near where the others who needed to be healed laid. As she panted heavily, already weary from the short fight, Pietro appeared next to her. "He's sent in another wave," she barely uttered.

"I know," Pietro answered. "And who knows how many more he has. It's not looking good. We knew we'd be outnumbered, but this is impossible. Look at them," he pointed to the rebels, struggling on the field. "It's as if they don't even know how to use their powers."

Kitty watched sadly. "Not all mutants are X-Men."

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"I should be helping them," Mystique said as she walked through the crumbled mass that was once the Xavier Institute.

"Funny," Erika replied. "I never thought loyalty was your strong suit."

"I didn't say which side."

Erika laughed and inspected a piece of rubble that had been a dining room wall. "Well, it's good to see you've chosen one."

Mystique sat down on a surprisingly smooth piece of stone. "I'm not on their side; I'm just not on Magneto's. That man has put me through too much to deserve my help now. I'm more of a lone wolf anyway."

"Of course you are," Erika chuckled.

"Don't act like you're so smart. Time travel or not, I'm still older than you and I have much more experience."

"Then why are you following me around?"

"Because," Mystique replied. "You were going to show me your secret weapon, remember? We should get a move on it; the battle's probably already begun."

"Just give me a minute." Erika made a square with her hands and scanned the area in the space in between. "Aha!" she exclaimed and began to telekinetically dig. Beneath the rubble and about a meter of solid earth there was an open area. Mystique peered into it and was finally speechless.

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The second wave of the army hit the rebellion harder than the first, but they remained diligent. Magneto stood back and watched happily. His only threat was almost entirely defeated. A loud noise rushed over the battlefield and when Magneto looked up he saw jets flying above with the words 'US Army' painted proudly across their sides. This only made him smile more. "Foolish humans," he said to himself and with no more than a wave of his hands three planes fell swiftly to the earth. As he prepared to dole out the same fate to another three he was almost knocked over by a swift kick to the head.

He spun around and saw Mystique standing before him defiantly. As she readied herself for another blow he quickly shielded his body with the shrapnel of one of the fallen planes. Mystique bounced off like a bird flying into a glass door pane, but in a moment she was up and attacking again. By her fourth or fifth try Magneto had lost patience he pushed the metal sheets away from him, knocking the blue woman to the ground and pinning her there.

"Did you really expect that to work?" he asked as he stood over her body.

She didn't try to struggle out of the metal hold and answered coolly, "Didn't it?"

Magneto followed Mystique's eyes to the sky above where dark clouds were coming together and thunder could be heard.

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"Rain," Lance observed as he joined Kitty and Pietro on the sidelines. "I suppose it doesn't hurt us."

"It doesn't help us either," Pietro added, refusing to make eye contact with his enemy and teammate.

Lance let it go and instead turned to Kitty. "We're getting killed out there. We need to do something and fast."

"There nothing we can do," Kitty said morbidly.

"You shouldn't talk like that," a voice came from behind the group. They each turned and almost died of shock.

"Scott!" Kitty squealed and ran to hug her former teammate. He squeezed back tightly. She then turned to the others who had just arrived. "Jean! Kurt! Rogue! Oh, I could hug you all 'til you pop but that wouldn't really be appropriate right now."

"You're right," Scott said. "We have an evil mutant to stop."

"Wait," Pietro interjected, "I thought you were dead."

"Well, so were you," Lance mumbled, but still audible to everyone else.

"There's no time to explain right now," Jean answered. "All you need to know is that we're up to date on everything. We're here to help."

"Well then, be my guest," Kitty said happily as she pointed to the fighting.

Scott smiled and called the X-Men to, "move out."

Kitty, Pietro, and Lance watched them pour onto the battlefield. There were all there, even Wolverine who didn't look a day older, and they were in perfect fighting condition, though a little dirty. Kitty was so happy by their miraculous return that she almost forgot to join in on the fighting herself; Pietro finally had to give a tug towards the right direction for her to get the message, and she gladly complied.

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Magneto didn't know what to say. He watched Storm fly through the darkened sky, striking his men down with lightning like Zeus; he saw Wolverine slash through the red army, though it was now hard to tell if their uniforms were red from Genoshan dye or Genoshan blood; and he watched as his third and even fourth battalions were defeated, slowly but surely. He had trained his men well, but no could, in the course of only two years , turn an average Mutant into one well-equipped enough to defeat the X-Men. He, himself, had never even done it.

That thought stayed with him for quite some time, but he refused to allow himself to give up. He had worked too hard and come too far. The X-Men returning not only meant a harder battle for his army, but a new enemy for him.

"I'm sorry."

Magneto did not have to turn to know who the voice belonged to.

"I honestly never meant to hurt you," Erika said, "Believe or not I love you. I know you don't believe it though. I've always looked up to. I was named after you, after all."

Magneto frowned. His former pride over having such a loyal and powerful granddaughter was swiftly drained.

"But, there's something about allowing someone's father to go missing, murdering their mother, driving their aunt insane, and then sending them to the past to have them do it all over again that just doesn't sit right with me. It didn't sit right with Charlie, either."

Magneto's ears perked up at the sound of the other half of his lost pride.

Erika's telekinesis had been fine tuned along the years, so fine that Magneto didn't even notice as she slowly pulled his helmet off his head, making sure to continue to add pressure where it once was. As she spoke, she lifted a piece of metal lying nearby, where Mystique still lay. It was silver and sharp. She knew her grandfather too well to not realize that he had noticed the metallic disturbance in the air, and she knew his immobility was not due to her own gifts, but to his acceptance of his fate. She also knew that he was smiling, for he, like her, enjoyed the irony of the master of magnetism finally being taken down by a small piece of steel.


	18. Chapter 18

New World Order

By: XMENobsession

**AN: **The last chapter, the end, the answers to all those hanging questions. If there are still any holes in the plot or whatnot feel free to ask me about them, and I'll be happy to make something up to clarify it for you. I hope you've enjoyed the story.

**DISCLAIMER: **I own nothing! Not people, not the places, and definitely not the paper!

Chapter 18

His death was silent, for he was too proud to allow it to be anything but. Erika stayed with her grandfather as the battle raged on. She watched it as it fell to nothing more than bodies splayed across the field and a few surrendering Genoshans. She could see the rebels and X-Men regrouping on the other side of the battlefield, but chose not to approach them. They would find her eventually.

She counted off Magneto's lost followers. There was Mystique, who Erika had released to the world some time ago to go forth and cause a nuisance for some do-gooder somewhere. Then there was Pyro, who was currently lying with the others in the red-stained grass. Pietro and Wanda had deserted over a day ago, and Erika, well, that didn't have to be said.

Yes, it was a tragic and lonely death for the master of magnetism, but one many felt was long overdue. A life of terrorism and hatred is not mourned for long, if at all, though Erika could not help but release a few tears for the man who had raised her and her sister.

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

"We still have to do a final perimeter check, but everything seems pretty calm."

"Don't be so sure, Pietro," Scott warned. "We still haven't located Magneto."

"Or Erika," Lance added, making sure not to use any harsh words in front of her parents, but his tone clearly demonstrated his opinion of the girl.

"Right," Scott agreed. "It's very important that you all speak with her."

"I've found them," Storm said, gently landing from her flight. "They're on the other side of the field. It was hard to tell from my distance but I don't think we need to worry about Magneto anymore."

"What about Erika?" Lance asked. "Is she still a threat? She might be bitter over the loss."

"Either way," Kitty responded surely, "She's our responsibility."

She and Pietro began walking across the battlefield. Lance followed until Pietro stopped him. "Ours," he reiterated and the interloper finally understood.

"They'll be fine," Scott said, noticing the worry on Lance's face. "Come on, there's a lot of cleaning up to do. I'll explain everything while we work." Lance was still a bit hesitant, but gave in to his curiosity about the recent events.

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

Sure enough, Kitty and Pietro found Erika sitting next to a dead Magneto. A pool of blood had formed around his head and the hair on the back of his neck was matted and dark red. Erika stared blankly ahead and they were all silent for a while.

"I'm not a bad person," Erika finally spoke. "I swear I'm not." She looked up and straight into Kitty's eyes. "You of all people should believe that."

Kitty looked away and tears formed when she realized she couldn't. She had given up all of her faith in her daughter.

Erika did not seem surprised, though. "My world – the future – is a terrible place; wonderful for the granddaughter of Magneto, but terrible for everyone else, even mutants. It just doesn't work; his empire doesn't work, no matter how badly we all wanted it to. And my whole life I knew that one day I would be sent to the past to make that miserable world possible."

"I got a glimpse of it and it was enough to send me running," Pietro said.

Erika half-smiled. "Charlie and I knew our fate." Kitty and Pietro winced at the sound of her name, but Erika continued. "We wanted to stop it, and, to do that, we both knew we needed a foot in both the rebellion and Magneto's inner sanctum. She would give you information and I would slowly cripple my own grandfather."

"But you killed her!" Kitty burst out, no longer trying to hold back her tears. "How could you do such a thing?"

Erika looked at her mother, her eyes clear but filled with genuine remorse. "I wanted to talk to her. It had been so long since we had parted ways and I wanted to make sure we were still on the same page. She looked so tired. She said the war was becoming too much. Charlie was never the fighting type. She said she couldn't do it anymore."

"But…" Kitty began kneeling next her daughter. "But she was doing the right thing."

"Not all mutants are destined to be heroes. I told her it wouldn't be much longer and that we needed her, but before I could stop her she was dead. Charlie was a telekinetic as well; I can understand how, to Aunt Wanda, it looked like I killed her. That was for the best, though. It kept you all suspicious of me. It was also lucky that Aunt Wanda was there to take the blame. Everyone thinking she was a traitor and then you and her deserting together even further weakened Magneto. Then all I had to do was shift Mystique, which wasn't easy; she's always on her own side."

"So Charlie commited suicide?" Kitty asked, mostly to herself, attempting to take it all in.

"Yes," Erika replied. "I told you I'm not a bad person. I even saved the X-Men."

Pietro's eyebrows raised. "How'd you do that?"

"I was sent to the Xavier Institute to kill them before the war started, but I didn't. I destroyed the mansion and kept the X-Men in an underground cave until today. The only bad thing I did was…" She looked at her grandfather's lifeless body.

Pietro sighed. "It's hard for us to admit it, being family and all, but that wasn't such a bad thing." Pietro sat down on the grass next to his wife. "This all happened so fast."

"I know," Erika said, staring over the body spattered battlefield. "I only wish I could have done more sooner and stopped all of this from happening."

"Don't feel bad." Pietro leaned back on the moist ground. "There's no way you could have. Mageto has been planning this since he first came to Genosha, since before you were born."

Kitty's head shot up. "We need to leave."

It wasn't difficult to convince the rebels to lend the three of them their jet as they weren't going anywhere anytime soon, so it was only a few hours later that Kitty, Pietro, and Erika landed on Genosha. There were still people there, women and children who could not fight, but they still trusted in Erika and allowed the visitors to pass through their city and to the jungle.

Lensherr Laboratory was waiting for them on the other side, now empty of all life. "Here we are," Erika said as she opened the heavy doors and entered the room. At the top of the stairs still stood the time machine that had caused so much grief.

"Are you sure about this?" Erika asked, climbing the stairs, her parents following behind her.

"Yes," Kitty answered sternly. "We have here the power to stop all of this destruction from happening. I couldn't live with myself if I didn't try."

"But Magneto will still go to Genosha and build his army," Erika argued.

"Yes, but this time we'll be ready, and we'll be on the right side," Pietro replied, grabbing hold of Kitty's delicate hand.

Erika shrugged and kneeled down the look at the machine's control. "When do you want to go?"

"Sometime before we left for Genosha," Kitty said. "Maybe even before…" She trailed off as she tried to remember a life without motherhood. "No, I couldn't," she finally decided.

"Yes, you could." Erika pressed a few buttons on the machine's base and stood. "Charlie and I are of this war and nothing else. You'll have other children."

"I don't want other children," Kitty argued.

Erika wanted to say something dramatic, but couldn't think of anything. She used her powers quickly to moved the machine. The rungs spun faster and faster and grew brighter and brighter.

The light became too bright for Kitty and she closed her eyes. She then felt a lunging feeling and grew nauseous. When she opened her eyes she was in Magneto's house, upstairs in Pietro's bedroom. The two smiled at each other.

Pietro walked out into the hallway just in time to see Gambit walking up the stairs. "Hey, what're you doing here?" he asked, trying to casually lean against the banister. He suddenly got the vaguest sense of déjà vu.

"I live here," the cajun answered. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine," Pietro answered and Kitty walked out of his bedroom, startled by Gambit's presence. "We're fine."

Gambit raised an eyebrow at the two of them. "I don't know what you were up to and I don't care to know, but the last thing I ever want to see is Magneto as a grandfather. You got that?" The two teens nodded. "It's getting late, you two should probably be heading home soon."

"Thank you," Kitty replied and she and Pietro ran down the stairs, leaving Gambit to wonder in their wake.

When they reached the door, Magneto shook their hands and told them that he was leaving and wouldn't be able to watch them dance next week. "Dance?" Pietro first asked, then remembered his past life. "Dance! Of course! We're in a dance competition still!"

"Yes…" Magneto said, looking at his son very strangely. "And I won't be able to make it."

"Well, um… that's too bad. But I'll see you around. I will see you around."

"Merry Christmas," Kitty said before Pietro could make more of a fool of himself, and they got into Pietro's car and left.

They drove for a little while until they got to Bayville Park where Pietro parked the car and turned to Kitty. "Now, where were we?"

"No!" Kitty yelled and the two of them laughed. After the laughter subsided, though, they grew very quiet. "Do you think we'll get things right this time?" Kitty asked.

"We'd better," Pietro replied. "Not many people get a second chance at the last two years of their lives. It's best not to waste it."

Kitty turned to him and smiled.

THE END


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